Mars: An Elseworlds Story
by Sibaas
Summary: After 'that night' young Bruce is teleported to Mars. There, he meets J'onn, Jor-El, and discovers just how difficult life is for a human 10,000 years in the past.
1. What's this?

Summary: What if Bruce and J'onn had met much much earlier in life? What if Bruce had somehow been teleported to Mars? An Elseworlds story. J'onn/Bats.

Disclaimers: As I have a really bad memory about putting these in, this will stand for the entire story. I do not own any of the DC characters. I only own the plot.

A/N: I KNOW I haven't updated the other stories and I'm really really sorry, but I just had this plot bunny erupt and so I started writing and once I started I just couldn't STOP...my creativity was being poured into this story. And...and... ;.; please forgive me.

I am changing...a _lot_. Nothing major, just little key differences to make my story possible. XD I guess it could be considered an elseworlds story. So before you read, I guess I should list the differences. Okay, here they come.

1-The scientist who built the machine that beamed J'onn to earth, has been moved to Gotham City. Wayne Enterprises is funding his research. Before taking the family to the theater, Thomas Wayne had stopped by the scientists' lab in order to check on how his research was coming along.

2- My research suggests that the Martians were more abstract thinkers rather than scientists. I'm saying it's the exact opposite. They're more sciensy than abstracty.

3- J'onn isn't married. He isn't married nor does he have a child. He's living with his parents and older sibling. He's...I guess...a teenager psychologically?

I KNOW the beginning is a _little_ rough but please, bare with me.

()

Blood.

There was so much blood. It was pooling out of his parents, out of his Mama and Daddy...Bruce didn't know that a person could hold that much blood. He wishes that he still didn't know.

It was getting harder to breathe. His throat was tightening very painfully and his eyes were burning...

Little Bruce Wayne was scared. His mind had yet to fully comprehend what he'd just witnessed but he knew one thing.

Mama and Daddy were gone.

And they weren't coming back.

The bad man had hurt them. For a while he'd stayed there, convinced that they were going to be okay; that soon Daddy would open his eyes and get up and Mama would smile that pretty smile she has. The one she always reserved for him. Her little prince.

So he sat their, and waited. Waited for them to move.

But they never did. Instead of moving, they started to get cold, and that's when he realized that they weren't going to wake up.

And that's when he ran.

()

Gotham City was beautiful at night. In the day she seemed old and haunted. The sun showed too much. It showed just how close she was to falling apart. She wasn't like her sister, Metropolis. She was older, darker, more _tainted_.

Night time was a different story altogether. Her lights sparkling in tune with the stars, shadows coming to life and moving fluid grace; say what you will about Gotham City, but Bruce was proud to call himself her child. She wasn't nothing like Metropolis, but that was just what he loved. He remembered visiting Metropolis when his dad was on business, and how he had walked around, seeing how bright it sparkled in the sun light, and how much he had _hated_ being there.

It was wholesome and sparkly and it looked to be perfect.

Except it wasn't perfect. It had it's ups and downs just like Gotham City. She just didn't show it out in the open.

Maybe that was a good thing, but Bruce liked how Gotham flaunted her flaws, how honest she was with her shortcomings. It was easy to ignore the problem if you couldn't see it. However, no body could ever forget about Gotham. She was _special_. She was _his _city.

Tonight though, tonight he just wanted to forget. He wanted to run and run until he couldn't anymore, until he left reality behind far behind him and he was able to simply exist, rather than hurt so much like he was right now.

As if feeling his inner turmoil, Gotham rose and protected him from the creeps and perpetrators of the night, her presence wrapping around him in a soothing, warm cocoon. The shadows that normally thrived on they type of weak prey Bruce was showed himself to be, kept their distance, as if somehow sensing Gotham's warning. Her threat to do harm to whoever disobeyed her.

And none of them dared.

Lest they bring down the wrath of Gotham. And she was NOT a city you wanted to piss off. Hell Hath No Fury Like a City Scorned and all that...

()

If little Bruce was in any shape of mind he might have gone to the authorities. Or even Back to the manor, to Alfred, who would hold him tight and tell him that everything was going to be okay.

But he _wasn't_ in the right state of mind. He was tired. More tired than any 8 year old had a right to be. He was scared and lonely and hurting so much that he wanted to scream and scream until everything left. Until everything went back to normal.

So he didn't go back to the manor, to a place that housed everything of his parents. To a place that just wreaked of Thomas and Martha Wayne.

Instead he went to the Lab. It didn't really make a lot of sense. Instead of going to Alfred and getting a hug and some hot cocoa, he was sneaking into a place that was cold and scary and ...

Dark.

But it was the last place his Father had taken him, before going to the theater--

No. Not now. Not now.

Gun shots. Pearls falling to the ground. Blood...so much blood...

Not not not now not nownotnownotnownotnow...

Scanned the room with wide eyes, trying hard not to think about what had just happened, trying to focus on the present. Something...anything...

There! There was a door, slightly open. A red hue was creeping through the crack. Desperately curious, little Bruce inched into the room...

And saw a man kneeling next to a weird looking machine, messing with some wires and mumbling grumpily. Quietly, so as not to disturb the man he walked up to the machine and reached out a hand to touch it. He really shouldn't ask, as it was obvious the man was busy but he was rather curious and looking for something, anything, to take his mind off the alley. So, he opened his mouth and asked, "What's this?"

And that's when it happened.

The man jumped, accidentally crossing two wires with one one, the machine came to life, whirring loudly and Bruce, who was now _standing _ in the machine --

Disappeared.

()

So how'd you guys like it??


	2. The Monster

HAHA! Here's the second Chapter!!

()

_Dr. Erdel wasn't a scientist, or even a doctor. He was a tinkerer in bad science...(1)_

The machine wasn't working properly. Again. It wouldn't normally be that frustrating, but just last night he'd managed to get it to light up. Today he couldn't even get it to turn on. It was starting to piss him _off_.

And so he had turned his back to the machine and had concentrated on the wire work for a little bit, thinking that _maybe_ if he tried a certain combination of colors, that it'd turn on. An hour had passed since he'd started with this train of thought and the only thing he'd gotten so far was a sore back. But he _almost_ had it, he was sure. It had almost come on with the last combination!

Sort of...then again it could have only been wishful thinking...

"What's this?"

He jumped, recognizing that voice from anywhere. That was Wayne's little boy! Was Wayne back? Was the show over already? Crap. Wayne said that he was coming over after the show and that he'd better have something good to show him...he knew his work wasn't looking very promising, but if he only had a little more time...

Opened up his mouth to talk to the little guy, ask him where his father was, only to gape in horror as he realized that the boy was _fading away._

Two seconds later and he was gone.

Ran a hand through his thinning hair as he took in the fact that he had _just_ sent his boss's boy hurling into the deep depths of outer space. _HOW _was he supposed to explain that?! How?! That kid was Wayne's pride and joy...

And when he found out that he was now floating among the stars..

Oh **god**.

_The-there's really no **need** to tell Wayne...ri-right?_

Looking outside, he couldn't see Wayne's car...as far as he could tell the boy'd came alone. Okay, so maybe he could deny it? After all, if Bruce was in space (which he probably was) then he was probably dead by now. If he told Wayne...not only would the man be angry, but Erdel would lose his funding and he'd probably get thrown in jail...but they wouldn't be able to retrieve his body! So in the end, he'd go to jail and his project would get shut down—permanently, and Bruce would still be lost in space.

However, if he kept his mouth _shut_...they'd just think that maybe he'd gotten lost or maybe he'd been kidnapped...they'd think he was still alive.

And Wayne wouldn't yell at him.

So, with trembling fingers, he decided to keep what he'd just seen to himself. To lock it up and throw away the key.

_Am-am I really doing the ri—FIRE!!_

His machine then caught fire and he had to focus on keeping his work from burning to a crisp, Bruce slowly fading from his memory.

()

The first thing that Bruce noticed when he opened his eyes was the fact that there was no pain. He was in a beautiful field with a lovely ricer. One he remembered visiting with his parents a year or so ago--

And there they were! Mama and Daddy! Sitting by the water and smiling at each other.

Letting out a sad hiccup, he ran up to them and threw himself into his Dad's arms.

He felt warm. Solid.

_Alive._

"Bruce?!" His mother exclaimed, running a hand through his hair, "What are you doing here??"

What did she mean? Wasn't she happy that he was here? That everything was a dream and that she and Daddy were--

_Fading away_.

What?! No! He'd only just found them! They couldn't leave!

Then the world faded to black and he slowly became aware of his surroundings.

()

Hands were on him. They were cool to the touch and they reminded him of how his parent's felt. Letting out a low moan he tried to shake them off but found that he couldn't move, his entire body felt slow and heavy, as if he'd jumped into a swimming pool fully clothed.

Someone was inside his head. They were poking and prodding and walking through doors that they shouldn't be. He felt the trail they left all over everything and felt himself grow angry. His mind was _his! _

The memories he had of his parents, his Father's laugh or the way his mother smelled of lavender...What if they decided to take those away? What if they were like the bad man and...

_what if they made him forget?!_

Nonononononononono! The person had to leave! Had to get out! _Getoutgetoutgetoutgetoutgetout!_ But he was so tired...so weak...

This person could do everything and anything he very well pleased and Bruce knew it. He couldn't do anything to stop him. If only _he_ had a monster of his own, someone who could scare the man away. But how? He wasn't scary at all; his Mama had called him cute on a regular basis.

Scary things weren't _cute_.

No. Scary things had eerie eyes that stared at you and never blinked; they had wings that made strange noises as they flapped against the wind, blended in with the shadows until you couldn't see them but had a dark presence that filled your very being because you just _knew_ that they were there waiting for you to let your guard down.

_Like those stupid Bats..._

He wasn't a bat though.

But as he felt the person go into yet another door and invade on more personal memories, he decided that enough was enough. He reached deep down and gathered up all his fear and his anger, the memory of the alley, of that moment when their eyes looked up at him and he just _knew _that he was going to be left alone...

And he started to mold it into a being. Someone who was brave and fearless and dark, someone strong enough to kick that person OUT of his head.

()

J'onn Jonzz stared down at the human child that lay on the medical table, his golden eyes narrowed in thought. Next to him, his older Sibling was going through his mind, sifting through the memories and he felt slightly miffed that it was L'helum doing it instead of he, but he understood.

A human mind was very different from a Martian's and even the slightest mistake could cripple the strange creature. Never _mind_ the fact that he'd been training for years, waiting for a moment just like _this_ to come along...

How often was it that a _human_ just fell out of the sky, literally, onto their planet?! He had questions, so many questions to ask the creature. The thing had almost died before they had managed to get him into a modified environment, one that had an atmosphere almost identical to Earth's.

They had set it up in hopes of being able to study the strange planet that was their neighbor. The planet's inhabitants were _fascinating_ and they were itching to get closer, maybe take a few for sampling, but the Elders had strictly forbidden it, saying that doing so would be cruel...

But surely they couldn't object if one fell into their laps, could they?

L'helum was taking his time, no doubt enthralled by what he was learning of the creature, and J'onn felt another wave of envy wash over him. It wasn't _fair _that his brother got a chance to poke at it and he didn't.

More stewing, and his K'nichtka gave him a reprimanding stare but he shook it off. Yes he knew he was behaving childish but he couldn't he--

Suddenly, L'helum, who had been calm during the whole thing, let out a scream and fell over, his eyes snapping wide open with fear. No one made a move to touch him, unsure of how their emotions would effect his vulnerable mind.

A few seconds passed and L'helum got his breathing under control.

"What happened?" Naculh asked trailing her fingers over his skin in a calm, soothing manner.

L'helum shuddered. "The—there was this _thing_ in its mind! This creature! It just suddenly appeared out of nowhere and shouted something at me and then it-IT THREW ME OUT!" He said the last part with angry words, insulted that some _cur_ of a creature managed to best _him_...

Frowning, J'onn watched as the others all conversed with his sibling, asking him questions about it's memories and the language it spoke, the emotions—if any—that it had. Why should he ask his brother when he could get it answers from the source itself?

He closed his eyes and dove in.

()

Alright! Martian Vocabulary time!

K'nichtka- mother

(1)-Taken from L'Narr's Song webpage. I figured it was a nice way to begin the chapter. Gawd I love that page. It just gives me really so much information for this story, for all stories really...


	3. Something in common

A/N: You would not BELIEVE how hard I wrestled with myself over changing J'onn's name. Should I keep it as is? Should I give him a martian name like the others? / I tried giving him a martian name, but J'onn kept shrieking at me in my head. So it stays as J'onn. It's my story so nyaah! XD

()

There was another person in his head again.

This one wasn't as strong, but Bruce wasn't taking any chances. He gathered up his emotions again, only to stop as he realized that this one had yet to open any doors or peer into any of the rivers that ran through his mind. No, instead it kept walking, and then he realized that it was walking towards _him!_

Sadly it appeared before he could really _do_ anything to prepared. Bruce scowled at the intruder, who in turn, tilted it's head to the side.

There was a slight trickle that he felt, alerting him to the fact that it was doing _something_ but he didn't bring his friend to kick him out yet. He was curious. 'Sides, this one felt much friendlier than the other person.

The figure sat down and for some unknown reason Bruce copied his motions, and they sat there for another second in silence. Until it spoke.

"_Wha...what is your name?" _

Bruce blinked. He certainly hadn't been expecting _that_.

**()**

Naculh turned to ask her k'nika something when she noticed his closed eyes and relaxed posture. No. He WOULDN'T! He wouldn't DARE go into that THING'S mind! Not when it had just _thrown_ L'helum half way across the room! Made over to shake some sense in him, only to stop as Lhed Xojil covered her hand with his own. Normally she would have just shrugged his hand off, but they were dealing with a _human_ so it was probably best if she listened to what he had to say.

"If you were to jar him out of reading a Martian's mind, with him being as inexperienced as he is--"

"It's a _human's_ mind he's reading!" She snapped, falling silent at seeing him look at her with those knowing eyes of his. "The...that's hardly a comparison."

Her voice was barely above a whisper and he gave a small smile at seeing how concerned she was. She really needed to have more faith in J'onn...

Lhelum patted her on the shoulder softly. "Do you really want to take that chance, K'nichtka? For now the only thing we can do is wait..."

Fine. She'd play their game and wait. But the _second_ he was out of that thing's head she was going to give him such a lashing...

()

J'onn watched as the human blinked and said in a small voice, _"Bruce. My name is Bruce." _

Then it's face got a little red and for a second J'onn was worried until it asked, _"What's yours?"_

Felt the wave of emotion coming off the thing and hmmed mentally. So when it was embarrassed it's face changed colors? Interesting...

"_In your language, it would be...J'onn Jonzz."_

_Does it change to a different color for each emotion? _

Was that how they attracted mates? Did they turn a special color when they were looking to procreate? Did all humans do this? Or did only the males? Could they control it or was it a subconscious thing?

_So many questions..._

But mainly one...

"_What did you do to Lhelum?"_

It scrunched it's eyes together in what he took to mean confusion, before twisting it's lips in a peculiar way, which judging by the emotions he was feeling, meant anger. _"He was in my head."_

It was J'onn's turn to be confused. _"He was only curious."_

"_Yeah, well how would YOU feel if someone started opening up doors and poking through your stuff?" _It turned away in a huff, saying in a low voice, _"Special stuff...stuff that he might take...if he wants...stuff that I need..."_

A wave of saddness washed over him and J'onn immediately felt ashamed of himself. They hadn't really thought that it would have emotions like theirs, or even complex memories but obviously it did and it _hadn't _appreciated the intrusion into his privacy.

He felt rather lost as he sat there, watching the human getting sadder and sadder. Lhelum hadn't _meant_ anything by it, really...

Rubbing the tips of his fingers together nervously, he wondered on what to do. He needed to get back to his K'nichtka, there was no telling how worried/mad she'd be by now, but it felt..._wrong..._leaving the human alone when he was feeling so..._down_.

If it had been a Martian, he would have made a joke. It was inappropriate in Martian culture, as they believed there was a time and place for everything and it _wasn't_ when someone was feeling sad or depressed. One was supposed to be soothing and caring. Not humorous.

However, this _was_ a human he was dealing with...

Maybe he'd appreciate it better?

"_Though...you really scared the...ah...crap...out of Lhelum. I never knew he could make that type of noise before." _He sent a mental picture to it's mind and there was a tense bout of silence before it started shaking, it's cheeks flushing red. The waves of emotion told him it was laughter and that made J'onn smile back, pleased when it was returned but ten times bigger.

Well...it seemed like they had one thing in common.

They both smiled the same way.

()

MARTIAN VOCABULARY TIME! WOOOT!!

K'nika-child.

K'nichtka-Mother.

Don't ask why they're similar. I had a brain fart and that's the best I could do. / again, my story so nyaaa!


	4. It's name is Bruce

()

He came out of it's mind and before his K'nichtka could start yelling at him, he said in a smooth voice,

"His name is Bruce and he doesn't like L'helum."

Naculh let out a surprised laugh, leaning up against Lhed Xojil, who's eyes were glowing with mirth. L'helum in reply simply huffed and was about to storm out of the room when Lhed Xojil asked for more details.

J'onn closed his eyes and went back in.

He battled with his pride and his curiosity for a few seconds before curiosity won out and he slumped back into his chair.

Fine. He'd stay. But only for a little while.

_How could it NOT like me? I'm likable! Sort of..._

()

For about a month he visited Bruce inside his mind while the best scientists worked on Bruce's body, trying to find a way for him to survive outside of the simulation room. Now that they knew that humans had complex minds and emotions just like them, it seemed too cruel to keep him locked in a single room. They _had_ considered simply sending Bruce back to his planet, but upon asking him if he was fine with that option, Bruce had shook his head and refused to say another word for the rest of the day.

Whatever happened to Bruce had obviously been very traumatic. There were times when J'onn attempted to go inside his mind, and had been blocked by the same monster that Lhelum had seen. He could see _why_ his brother had screamed. The monster was _terrifying._ Part creature, part man, standing out of the shadows and staring with those eerie white eyes that never blinked yet had so much emotion behind them...

Whenever he'd come in contact with the monster he'd quietly take his leave, having no desire to go head to head with _that_ creature. Besides, if Bruce didn't want to talk to him, he'd respect that.

It didn't mean he had to like it though.

He was starting to _like _talking to the little human. Bruce was strange and different and had answers to so many of his questions and didn't seem to mind answering them. As long as J'onn answered his, of course.

Needless to say when he'd told Bruce that he was on _Mars_ the human hadn't believed him. It wasn't until he showed him some mental images of his home that he'd fallen silent, his eyes wide with what something he'd like to take to mean wonder and awe.

But he wasn't one hundred percent sure...

After the first month past, the scientists had found a way to alter his DNA to better withstand the harsh climate Mars had to offer. They needed more time, to run tests and check all the possible variables. There was even a chance that he wouldn't survive the ordeal. But J'onn didn't think Bruce really cared about his survival. Which was another odd thing about Bruce. From what he could gather from his snooping, he was at the 'Child' cycle of his life span, and children were supposed to be outgoing, happy and sociable creatures.

Bruce was moody, irritable, had a thing about privacy and didn't like it when J'onn got a little bit _too _curious and sometimes tried to sneak a peek through a closed door or two. He'd never get very far before the Monster was there again, growling at him to GET OUT. Then he'd have to leave Bruce alone for a few days so he'd calm down...

Normal children didn't have Monsters in their minds, did they? From what he could tell of the humans...that would have to be a _no_.

Also something else that confused him; Bruce was more developed than the humans on Earth. He knew words and concepts that they didn't. Even the clothing he'd been wearing was different from the type of clothing they wore. The humans on earth wore animal skins. He wore something that was much softer, yet sort of coarse, and the animal skins that covered his feet were just pain _weird_.

The thought that Bruce was an odd specimen even on his _own _planet made J'onn all the more interested in him. He couldn't _wait_ to introduce him to the outside world and see how he'd react.

()

He spent the next month teaching the hu—_Bruce, _he kept reminding himself-- the Martian language. He'd basically just imported all the grammar, vocabulary and markings of the words into Bruce's brain, but he couldn't give him experience; something the 'child' obviously lacked. Several times he'd mix up words and while it was very humorous for J'onn, it was also frustrating for Bruce.

His human tongue just wasn't used to forming all those sounds. Luckily, he was a child, so he was very good at adapting, but it would still take time. So J'onn tried not to laugh at him too often and he instead taught him some of the urban legends of Martian culture. Bruce's reaction to the story-telling was always different. On some days he sat hanging onto his every word. On other days he'd roll his eyes or make little 'hnn' noises. Sometimes he'd barely pay attention at all and would instead pace around restlessly, whining every other minute about how _bored_ he was.

But J'onn wasn't bored at all.

()

If you don't know what K'nichtka means by now I'm not updating anymore. XD


	5. HONESTLY!

They were considering returning Bruce back to Earth.

This was the discussion J'onn had walked into one morning, mind restored from his night-rest and eager to go back and talk to Bruce. He knew his K'nichtka was worried about the time he was spent with the human but Lhed Xojil kept his mother's worries at bay, stating that working with the human's mind was giving him ample experience without taxing his powers too much.

And he had intended on jumping right back into Bruce's mind, itching to continue their earlier discussion about the weather on earth (They had soft _and _hard rain? AND it changed colors?!) when he'd caught the end of the conversation--

"...just saying that it might be for the best if we send it back to where it belongs..."

And had decided that he'd stay away for a little bit, to see what was going on.

"You're thinking about sending Bruce back?" He nearly exclaimed, his voice rough from misuse. He hadn't been using it lately...they didn't really talk out loud in Bruce's head...

Lhed Xojil rubbed his fingertips together, the only sign at all that he was uncomfortable with this conversation. "Humans aren't natural telepaths, K'nika." A frown. "We talk out loud like they do now, but it's becoming more and more obsolete as the days pass. Soon Martians will do all communication telepathically. The human will be crippled and even more of an outsider."

J'onn mirrored his frown, knowing he was right but not wanting to admit it just yet. "Isn't there a way to teach Bruce? Like how you and K'nichtka taught us?"

_Please please please..._he didn't want to have to send Bruce back. He was just _so_ interesting...

Gold eyes peered into his thoughtfully. Every life form had abilities when they were young. Empathy was one of the most universal traits shared by nearly all races. It allowed them to sympathize and become sensible to other people's pain. Empathy was one of the traits of telepathy. However, many of the young ones outgrew their abilities, either from not training them or from just ignoring them until they withered and died. Bruce was, if his calculations were correct and he was confident they were, at that age where it could go either way.

He didn't really have enough knowledge of his life to make that type of assessment though; every case was different...

Finally he said spoke up, saying in a halting tone, "It's...possible...but not probable."

J'onn let out a small smile and closed his eyes. "So it's possible."

Naculh groaned. "But not _probable._"

"But it's _possible_."

She watched his posture relaxed and threw her hands up in a strange gesture of defeat. "HONESTLY!"

Lhed Xojil stared at her for a few minutes before she snapped at him, "WHAT?"

"J'onn learned that strange move from the human. You're copying him." Gold eyes glowed with mirth. "Do I detect that the human is influencing you?"

Hers only narrowed back. "Don't start, you."

"I'm just saying..."

**()**

Bruce shot J'onn an annoyed glare as he continued to pace back and forth. He wasn't really sure why he did it, it didn't help ease his anger _at all_ but he had memories of his father doing the same thing when he was feeling stressed and acting out the same movements made him feel somehow closer to him. But right now, he had more pressing matters to think about.

Like how much he was beginning to _hate_ J'onn.

It didn't make sense, to hate J'onn because he was really kind of cool and he'd said he was a Martianand how awesome was that?! Usually J'onn was cool and even kind of funny but lately...

Ho boy he'd been getting on his nerves.

Since the entire thing didn't make sense he decided to make a list of why he currently hated J'onn.

Reason Number One of the list of Why Bruce Couldn't Stand The Site of J'onn Jonzz:

Just _yesterday_ he'd caught him snooping around his head again. He'd had the Monster throw him out, like always, but he hadn't felt that angry as usual for some reason, and had even sort of smiled at J'onn when he was kicking him out to let him know that it would be okay to come by again tomorrow so they could continue their conversation about rain, snow and hail. He didn't know _a lot_ about it, but he knew enough to satisfy J'onn's everlasting curiosity.

Reason Number Two:

He'd been _late_ coming back! For almost like a gajillion years he'd waited for J'onn to show up! It.Took.For.EVER.

Reason Number Three:

He was getting _bored_. He didn't know what they were doing to his body but something was keeping him from leaving his mind and it was seriously starting to tick him off. He could only listen to J'onn talk about how awesome Mars was for so long before he started to itch to see it himself.

Reason Number Four:

He REFUSED to talk to him! He'd come into his mind, FINALLY and had said only one thing to him: _"I'm TIRED of talking to you. Why don't YOU talk to ME for a change?"_

What was _that_ supposed to mean? Bruce had tried to ask him that, but he...he hadn't been able to _feel _J'onn in his mind. Which was odd. J'onn was there. He could _see _J'onn. But he couldn't _feel_ him. Usually he was able to feel everything. The emotions J'onn felt, the presence, when he was snooping around...

Now there was nothing. Just silence.

And it was beginning to scare him.

He couldn't stand the silence. When he was alone...

He had time to think.

Time to think about things...he didn't want to think about. Ever.

Bruce felt himself growing cold and sat down right in front of J'onn, who didn't even move a muscle. Not even a twitch to recognize he was there.

It was as if he didn't exist.

Felt his eyes start to burn and forced a scowl to his face. Stupid J'onn.

_Why don't YOU talk to ME for a change?_

Hmpf. Well maybe he WOULD!

...but first he had to figure out how.

It shouldn't be that hard, right? If J'onn could do it, then so could he! Okay, so he felt J'onn in his head when J'onn talked to him. So...maybe he had to get into his head to talk to him? It...it made sense. Sort of.

Okay. How was he supposed to get into J'onn's head?

Well...when he kicked J'onn out, he always kicked him out the door, or the Front Door, as he'd labeled it in his head. And if he didn't want J'onn to enter for a few days, he'd put the Monster in front of the door to guard it.

Did J'onn have a front door?

If he did...how was he supposed to walk through it?

J'onn's head wasn't that big...Bruce doubt he'd even FIT!

_Maybe if I shrink really small??_

Scowling again, he yelled to J'onn about how much he hated him right now. He didn't even flinch. UGH! This was so annoying! Plopping down he decided that he was going to win this and shrink down to go through J'onn's front door so he could tell him all about the List.

Closing his eyes, Bruce nodded thoughtfully. And then, when he finished yelling at J'onn, he was going to get the Monster to kick him out.

_That'll show 'em..._

()

XD bwahahaha! R & R bitches!


	6. Lists

()

L'helum was reading a book. He was reading a book while sitting right next to _the_ most interesting creature in what quite possibly had to be the entire UNIVERSE, when he COULD be inside Bruce's mind, like J'onn currently was, learning all his and Earth's secrets.

He was beginning to hate J'onn.

Bruce was _so_ cool and was probably telling J'onn all kinds of neat tid bits of information, stuff about their food, culture and he'd even heard J'onn muttering something about SOFT rain. He _knew_ he acted insensitive during their first meeting, snooping and pocking through doors and wading through rivers, but he'd just been so curious...and then that _monster_ had appeared and well that had changed his mind about the human rather quickly then...

Especially when he'd seen the Monster again.

And had tried to take it head on.

And had failed.

Miserably.

Which was embarrassing. He worked for the royal family; he was _that_ good. And for a human to be able to best him...Wow. That was simply just...wow.

The monster let J'onn through though. And while he knew he was pouting, he couldn't help it. What did _J'onn _ have that he didn't? Why did Bruce like him so much more than him? He could be just as sensitive and weird too!

He winced.

Okay, sort of...

Before he could continue on his 'why doesn't Bruce _like meeeee_' rant, J'onn was literally _thrown _halfway across the room. He didn't look pissed, nor did he have the sheepish look on his face that he seemed to get whenever Bruce caught him snooping; no, he merely looked...amazed.

And slightly proud.

"He kicked me out!" Came the oddly happy chirp. Usually J'onn was quite depressed after Bruce did that...

L'helum snickered. "I know, I saw you go flying."

J'onn shook his head. "No. I was trying to teach him to mind talk like how K'nichtka taught us."

He let a small smile shape his lips, thinking back to their first time...and how they'd gaped like idiots when she'd stated that it was _their _turn to talk to _her_. They'd spent the rest of the week trying to get her attention, but she ignored them as if they weren't even there; even putting themselves in danger didn't work because Lhed Xojil was always there to bale them out. He remembered feeling so abandoned and hurt...

Talking to someone while they were in your head, and talking to someone while in _their _head, were two entirely different things.

But they'd managed to accomplish it eventually.

"So I take it Bruce reacted the same way we did?"

J'onn tilted his head, considering it. "Mmm...I don't think so. We spent _days _trying to get her to listen to us otherwise. He only spent a few minutes trying that. It took us about three days--"

"Two and a _half_ thank you very much--"

"Before we figured out how to talk to her. It took him about five hours." He chuckled. "He was silent for a long time and I was actually considering leaving when he suddenly broke into my mind and kicked me out, shouting something about Lists...it was only for a few seconds, his broadcasting was weak and his hold was shaky at best but..."

L'helum perked up at hearing the 'lists' part. Bruce had Lists? So did he! It was probably about the same thing too; how infuriating J'onn was. Maybe once this was all over with they could compare notes? Maybe see who had it worse?

He snorted. While tempted to claim himself as champion, Bruce _obviously _had it worse. He had to deal with J'onn being in his _mind_ for _hours _ on end.

When Bruce was finally able to come out, he was going to treat him to a meal. The poor human deserved that much at least.

()

A city meeting was being held in order to determine if they should send Bruce home or not. J'onn had been prepping for the meeting for hours, after talking to Bruce for a few days, and trying to get his hold on telepathy to sharpen. It was slow going, he wasn't picking up in it as quickly as he'd like, but he _was_ picking up on it, and that's what mattered. It would probably take him a bit longer to get to the same level that a normal Martian was on, but he had high hopes; Bruce was nothing if not determined.

Especially when he told him that if he didn't master it that he'd be returning home. J'onn didn't know why he wanted to keep away from his home planet. He was sure that the Monster held some vital clues but he wasn't exactly sure on how to observe it. The only time he ever really saw the Monster was when he was being kicked out, and during those times he felt too scared to really _ask_ anything.

Sometimes the Monster almost seemed gentle. Other times he looked ready to eat him and spit him out for breakfast. J'onn guessed it all depended on how much he pissed Bruce off.

J'onn took his seat next to L'helum, who was rubbing his fingertips together. "Are you _sure_ he's picking it up?"

He nodded. "Not as quickly, but yes. He is."

"K'nichtka looks ready to spit..." They looked over to where Naculh sat, and shared a mischievous smile with each other. Their K'nichtka was always nervous during meetings...ever since that incident when they'd _accidentally _set all the Z'litkas loose. Why couldn't she understand that they weren't K'nika's any longer? They weren't going to do anything dangerous; not without consulting Lhed Xojil, atleast. She thought _they _were bad? Where did she think they got most of their ideas from?

One of the scientists stood up, his arm full of medical charts, as he said, "We believe we have all the necessary data needed to perform the surgery on the human, but there might be some complications, and there's a slight chance the human will die. Are we sure that we want to continue with such a dangerous procedure?"

There was slight murmuring at those words, as they all conversed among themselves, trying to weigh the possible pros and cons.

Lhed Xojil stood up as the voices died down, J'onn and L'helum felt a surge of pride wash through them. Lhed Xojil might not work for the royal family, but he was gifted; when he offered his opinion, people listened.

"Our K'nika has been communicating with the human. The human is well aware of the risk involved; and has stated that he doesn't care. If the human doesn't see any problem with it, I don't see why we should either." A slight pause. "To be honest, Naculh and I were pondering on sending the human back ourselves, due to his inability to communicate telepathically, but J'onn has proven us wrong in that aspect as well. The human is grasping the concepts; he's learning."

More muttering, but this time it was more excited, as they knew all to well how rare it was to find a human who could communicate their way. The scientist took in all the excited faces of his pupils and gave a slight nod, before stepping off of the podium. He didn't _want_ to do the procedure. They had enough problems without adding a human to it, but he couldn't stop the slight buzzing in his mind; the surgery was going to prove to be a challenge and he _loved_ challenges. He _was_ a Martian after all.

There were still quite a few variables to consider, but one thing was for sure; The people had spoken and they _wanted_ the human to live among them. Whether out of curiosity, pity because of how backwards Earth was in their technology, or simply because they wanted a change...they wanted him to do the surgery. And it seemed the human was just as eager.

()

MARTIAN VOCABULARY TIME! WOOO!!

Z'litkas- some type of Martian animal. I dunno what it looks like, I just needed an animal name. So there it is.

K'nika-Child.

K'nichtka-Mother.

As for the surgery/DNA altering thing, I really don't wanna hear about how 'unrealistic' it would be. If Humans can manage to change a man into a woman and vise versa I think it stands to reason that Martians, a race that is theoretically light years ahead of us, would be able to modify a human so that they could withstand life on Mars. I'm jus' sayin...and again, my story so nyaaah xD


	7. L'helum is accepted

()

After something close to a year, they seemed ready to perform the surgery. It had taken them forever, researching the difference between the Human's body and a Martian's. How their stomachs and digestive system worked, how their nerve system absorbed information. As it was now there was little difference in the Martian and Human diet. They had their fruits, their vegetables and their meats and fats. Granted their food nurtured their bodies in very different ways, but it was something that they could work with.

The telepathy thing, was also something they could work with. According to J'onn Bruce was on the same level that a little K'nika was. J'onn had taught the human all that he could; the rest could only be learned by experience.

It was the climate that would kill the human. The surface pressure was only one percent. The temperature during the day was fine, but the temperature at night would cause him to freeze to death. His skin also needed to be tougher; their 'ice' would pierce his skin and most definitely kill him upon impact. Yes they had the protective forcefield ready, but that was for the meteors that came their way, or intruders with ill intentions. _Not _for humans with sensitive skin. Not to mention the whole needing oxygen to breathe in order to live thing...

It was going to take _a lot_ of work, but it wasn't impossible. It would definitely be a challenge, that's for sure.

()

While they were taking a year to get ready for the operation, J'onn was getting Bruce prepared to enter Mars for the first time. He had tried to teach him as much as he could; until he realized that he might need some help. Then he had spent almost a month getting Bruce to trust L'helum, who had behaved surprisingly well and hadn't even snooped once.

Sometimes he'd whine about how it wasn't fair that Bruce could barely tolerate _him_ when he never even thought about snooping, yet J'onn snooped almost once a week and was liked much better. To that J'onn could only shrug. He couldn't help it how Bruce's mind worked. But he could tease his brother about it. However, it was taking almost entirely too long to get them to trust each other, and he was starting to considering bringing Lhed Xojil in to help, when L'helum had told Bruce a _really_ gross joke.

It was crude and had to be told in Martian, but Bruce understood enough of the language to get the gists of it, and had laughed for what seemed like hours.

After that they'd gotten along just fine.

J'onn was _slightly_ jealous, but only a little. They had more important things to worry about. Like teaching Bruce Science, Math, History, Martian Culture...things that would probably help him along the way once he was allowed to roam free. And he'd made a good call at calling in L'helum; he'd had the highest scores in class. First though they had Bruce let them sort through his knowledge of such subjects. What he did know was interesting; what he _did not_ was appalling.

How was he expected to get a reasonable occupation with that sort of primitive education? It was times like these that he was really _really_ happy that he was a Martian, and not an earthling. Yes they were interesting creatures; but they were about as intelligent as a brick wall. So they sat in Bruce's head and tried to teach them as much as his young mind was able to comprehend. Some things he just wasn't mature enough to grasp, other things he caught on very quickly. He liked each subject well enough, but there were days when he just _was not_ able to get it, and on those days he usually had the Monster kick them out, steaming over how confusing everything was.

They tried to be patient, but sometimes they forgot that he was just a 'child' and that he was liable to break into temper tantrums and pout.

Didn't mean he had to sick the Monster on them though...

()

J'onn stared at Bruce, who lay still on the table, his eyes closed. He was supposed to be the one to bring Bruce out of his year-long slumber. He had kept Bruce company during the operations, talking to him and trying to keep his mind off what they were doing to his body; which was basically re-writing his DNA. They couldn't give him a Martian body; that was impossible even for them.

But they were able to make it so that he could _function_ like a Martian. He didn't exactly understand the procedure, as he was a little bit young to really grasp all the concepts but he was amazed at the end result. His skin felt cool to the touch, rather than warm like he was used to it feeling. His body temperature was the same level as his now. It felt..._rougher_, like his did.

There were no scars that covered his body, he looked just as he did when he first came to Mars. A little bit older, maybe. Longer perhaps, but still very child-like. Pale skin, black hair. And if Bruce's mental projection matched his outside, blue eyes. He'd spent nearly a year talking with Bruce, teaching him things about his planet and culture...what if when he woke up...

He didn't like the planet? What if he didn't like _J'onn_? What if he found some new Martian friends and decided that they were cooler than he was? He knew he wasn't as handsome as some of the others, and maybe not as cool...in fact he was considered a bit dorky by Martian standards...and what if Bruce thought so too? J'onn shifted uneasily. Maybe it was best if he didn't wake him up at all...

Maybe--

"If he likes you while you're inside his mind, he should like you just as much outside his mind." Naculh stated softly as she walked over to her K'nika, placing a hand on his shoulder. He tensed slightly, obviously not believing her for a second.

She chuckled. "Might I remind you that it took a long time for him to warm up to L'helum?"

He paused, considering his words. That _was _true. By Martian standards L'helum was as cool and as handsome as they came. But Bruce hadn't been impressed. He'd kicked him out the first time they met. But he'd let J'onn stay. He'd _talked_ to J'onn.

Letting out a nervous sigh, he touched his hands to Bruce's temples and slowly started on the process of waking him.

()

R&R :dances:


	8. X'kniror goodness

()

Bruce's reaction to everything was...different. Upon seeing J'onn he had stiffened slightly and had stared at him for a few minutes before letting out a small smile and nodding, as if pleased with what he saw. And even though he knew it was kind of silly of him, the Martian felt proud to pass Bruce's inspection of him. His reaction to Naculh and Lhed Xojil had been rather cold, especially once he'd learned that they were J'onn's parents. He was polite, but very distant.

It was as if they reminded him of someone else...

_Maybe his parents? _J'onn thought, recalling how Bruce had never mentioned having any family back on earth. Maybe he didn't. Maybe that was why Bruce was so against being sent back home? He thought of what it would be like to lose Naculh or Lhed Xojil, or even L'helum and decided that he'd probably want to leave his home too. He didn't think he could stand looking around and seeing them everywhere...

Yet knowing that they were gone...

He had more questions for Bruce, but he knew that they'd probably have to go unanswered.

There were some things that hurt too much to talk about.

()

On the first night of Bruce's awakening, it was decided that he would be staying with J'onn's family. After all, J'onn was the one Bruce had bonded too and they didn't want to know what would happen to the human if they tried to separate them. If Bruce had any reservations about Naculh, it disappeared the minute he tried some of her cooking. They had been worried about how he would adapt to Martian food but they really had nothing to worry about; it seemed that Bruce would eat pretty much anything. And think it tasted at least 'okay' if not better.

Lhed Xojil had it harder, unfortunately. Bruce wouldn't so much as look at him, much less talk to him. He'd tried everything under the sun, and had even resorted to telling crude jokes like L'helum had, but he didn't get so much as a chuckle. Just stony silence. After that dinner had taken a rather..._awkward_ turn, with Lhed Xojil poking at his food moodily and Naculh teasing him about his grumpiness.

J'onn had finally stood up and offered to show Bruce his room. As soon as they were out of hearing range, L'helum clapped his father's back comforting. "B'vrmnko, V'lmnta! He didn't like me at first either."

His V'lmnta just stared at him. "That's different. _You _are something of a m'nkte."

L'helum choked on his drink as the slur registered with his brain. It didn't help that his K'nichtka was laughing rather loudly either. "I am _NOT_!"

Ignoring his K'nika's sputtering, he continued, "While _I _am funny.and charming.and CARING." He started stabbing at his food. "And.Full.Of.X'kniror GOODNESS."

_Thud!_

They looked down and rolled their eyes as they saw Naculh had fallen from laughing so hard. Lhed Xojil glared at her. "I am!"

More laughter.

She was _so_ not helping matters, L'helum thought as he watched his V'lmnta's harsh stabbing increased. "That human should LOVE me!" More glaring at Naculh. "It likes you!"

L'helum snickered. His V'lmnta was taking Bruce's snub really hard. It was understandable why though. Everyone liked Lhed Xojil. EVERYONE. Except, apparently, Bruce. "Well duh. She gave him food."

More stabbing. His food was practically mush by now...steaming, he stood up, his chair clattering to the floor. "I am going to go in there and DEMAND that the human like me!"

His K'nichtka was starting to choke. If she didn't get a hold of herself she'd probably die soon... sensing no help coming from _her_ any time soon, L'helum tried to placate his V'lmnta. "I'm not sure that'll work with a human..."

Lhed Xojil stared at his k'nika for a few seconds before letting out an annoyed sigh and righting the chair he'd just knocked over, dropping down into it with a depressed air about him.

Sensing that he was _actually_ upset about the human not liking him, Naculh sat up, offering a smile towards her mate. "B'vrmnko, Lhed Xojil. I'm sure he'll warm up to you eventually."

Her only reply was a moody grunt.

()

MARTIAN VOCABULARY TIME!! WOOOOO!!

V'lmnta-Father.

M'nkte- A general slur, meaing jerk, ass, dick...

X'kniror- sugar. Lhed Xojil is saying that he's made of sugary goodness.

B'vrmnko- a phrase that means 'cheer up' or 'chin up'. Something to tell people when they're down.

K'nika-Child

K'nichtka-Mother.

Lhed Xojil's name is always said as Lhed Xojil. In Martian Culture (in my head at least) it's considered rude to shorten someone's name. They view the name that a K'nichtka gives her K'nika as sacred, very special. Kind of like David Michael or Bonnie May.


	9. Willing to try

Mars: An Elseworlds Story

Chapter 9

**()**

Bruce stared up at the ceiling of J'onn's room, his mind racing ninety miles an hour.

He was on Mars. Or Ma'aleca'andra.

Sharing a room with a Martian. (Ma'aleca'andrain?)

Who had a weird ceiling.

It showed the sky of Mars, but instead of soft pink, it was blue-black and had silvery clouds forming random shapes. J'onn had told him it was what the sky looked like before it rained.

It was beautiful.

And so unlike Earth.

Something he was happy about. The less things to remind him of home, the better.

However it wasn't different enough. Didn't stop his thoughts from riling through his head; the memories of that night. It wasn't fair. He'd managed to keep from thinking of it for almost one full year. But the second he gets out, and is introduced to this new world...

Bam. Everything hits him.

Everything was gone. Daddy, Mama, and even Alfred, because he wasn't going to back again. Not ever.

Turned over, trying to go back to sleep because tomorrow was a full day and there were so many interesting sites to see...

But his mind just wouldn't give it a rest.

Guilt. Bruce felt guilty for leaving Alfred behind on Earth, all alone. He doubted if the butler even knew if he was still alive. It _had_ been a year since he'd ran away. And he was pretty sure that they chances of anyone thinking to look on _Mars_ of all places, had to be slim.

For being mean to Lhed Xojil. He'd heard the Martian's exclamations all the way from J'onn's room and had shot his friend an apologizing look, but J'onn had seemed to find the situation rather _amusing_. But Bruce could only wince. If Alfred were here, he would have scolded him for his rude behavior.

For leaving Gotham. Bruce had promised that he wouldn't abandon her. Didn't make a lot of sense to anyone else. Gotham wasn't alive, his father had told him. But he didn't believe that. Because the second he'd made said promise, she had seemed to _brighten_ ever so slightly, as if in thanks. And he had broken that promise.

He just couldn't get to sleep with all those thoughts in his head.

Letting out a sigh, he threw back the soft covers and slid out of the bed—which _floated_ in the air—and cautiously made his way outside, trying hard not to wake anyone up. He ended up in what he thought was the backyard. The stars twinkled down at him and he spent a few seconds staring up at them, wondering which one was Earth. Then a few more trying to find make constellations in the stars. That cluster of them right there looked like a bunch of...

Stars.

Apparently he sucked at finding constellations no matter which planet he went to.

Ah well.

Turned his attention to the yard again, which had a few interesting looking machines. Some looked rather old, covered in rust and a few cracks in the metal. A few looked new, shining brightly in a mesmerizing way. _So cool..._

But before he could investigate any further, he realized that he wasn't alone.

Lhed Xojil was kneeling over a machine, muttering slightly. The image reminded him of that strange man he'd seen in the lab back on Earth and decided that this time perhaps it would be best to stay _out_ of any type of machinery that he could fit into.

No matter how cool looking it might be.

Bruce was tempted to go back inside but his guilt from earlier made him walk over to the Martian and sit down next to him. For several minutes he simply watched Lhed Xojil tinker away, thinking that he was doing something nice by keeping him company, unaware that the alien was growing more and more agitated as the seconds passed.

"Why don't you like me?!" Lhed Xojil finally blurted out, causing Bruce to jump back, startled.

How was he supposed to answer that? He didn't know _why_ but something about the older male just rubbed him the wrong way. So, he said nothing.

()

Lhed Xojil pursed his lips together, gazing at the human with thoughtful eyes. He really shouldn't push, because according to L'helum, Bruce really wouldn't appreciate that but he couldn't_ help it_. He just wasn't used to not being liked. It made him feel inferior, like he wasn't _good enough_ in the human's eyes. Silly, really. He was far more advanced than Bruce, so why should his opinion matter? His mind whined at him. _Because he doesn't like me that's why!_

"_Bruce, this is my K'nichtka, Naculh. And my V'lmnta Lhed Xojil."_

_Mmm...perhaps...? _"Is it because you miss your own parents?"

There was a long, uncomfortable pause and for a second he thought that Bruce was simply ignoring him again. Had turned away, about to start his grumbling again, when his ears made out the soft words, "V'lmnta is dead. So is K'nichtka."

Those strange blue eyes were staring at him with cool aloofness, something which caused him to shiver. His eyes looked so _blank_ and had this haunted look to them, as if he was reliving a horrible memory. And right away, he knew why Bruce had been so against returning back to Earth. It held too many memories.

So Bruce didn't like him because his own V'lmnta was dead? Did he think Lhed Xojil was trying to take his place? Which wasn't true at all. However, there was something about his answer that bugged the alien.

Refusing to let the matter drop until his curiosity was satisfied, he asked, "Then why don't you hate Naculh? If your k'nichtka is dead as well--"

"V'lmnta died first!" Bruce bit out, turning away, his arms crossed and back tense. Lhed Xojil watched as the human started to tremble and winced as he realized that he was crying. Because of him, of the questions he'd asked. All because he wasn't liked? _So selfish..._

Said trembling increase as he whispered, "V'lmnta died first. He was s'pose protect us. An' he-he died. An-an-an then K'nichtka died. And..." A hiccup. "And I was 'lone!"

The words had been said in broken Martian, showing Lhed Xojil yet again how young Bruce was. How inexperienced. He acted so mature...but he was still a little k'nika. Who was hurting, and desperately needed someone to comfort him. He didn't really know what to do, torn between comforting Bruce and giving him his space. But as the seconds passed, sobs getting louder and his heart breaking even more, he gave in to his instincts and gently picked up the small boy, cradling him his arms like he'd done to L'helum and J'onn when they were younger.

"Shhhh..." Rubbed his back soothingly, feeling a bit awkward but not caring. Because as awkward as he felt, he simply couldn't _stand_ to see a k'nika cry. Especially when it was partly his fault. "B'vrmnko, little one. B'vrmnko."

Bruce's initial reaction was to struggle out of the alien's grip. Lhed Xojil wasn't his father, wasn't anything _like_ his father. Didn't smile, talk or smell the same. But as the Martian started murmuring comforting words to him, and he felt his body relax, Bruce thought that maybe, that might be a good thing.

And as he continued on talking, Bruce slowly started to come to the conclusion that the alien wasn't all that bad, really. He was a good listener, and held him as he patiently waited for him to say what was on his mind.

"It-it m'fault." Another hiccup, and Bruce hated himself for it. Hated himself for sounding like a child, when he wasn't. He was nine years old. Too old to be crying, especially on someone he barely even knew. But he couldn't stop talking. It was like the dam holding back his emotions had cracked, and once it was fractured, there was no holding back anymore. "I sh-shun'tna made 'em leave. My faul--"

The strong arms holding him squeezed, and he fell silent. "Your fault, little one? Did you _know_ what was going to happen?"

"N-no."

"Did you make that m'nkte kill?"

"No, but-!"

Another squeeze. "Then I officially declare you free of fault."

Lhed Xojil looked down at him, smiling ruefully. "You don't believe me." It wasn't a question, as he already knew the answer. And it saddened him to think about all that had happened to Bruce in order to turn him into such a guilt-ridden person.

"Want to." Bruce bit his lip. It was so frustrating, talking in Martian while in this state of mind, because he wasn't able to communicate properly about what he was feeling, but the alien didn't rush him, and finally he found what he wanted to say. "I'll...try. To believe."

That got him a brighter smile. "Who knows, little one? Maybe one day you'll actually succeed."

He didn't really believe that either.

But he was willing to try.

()

MARTIAN VOCABULARY TAHM! WOOO!!

V'lmnta- Father

K'nichtka-mother

M'nkte- general slur meaning dick, ass, jerk...

B'vrmnko- cheer up, chin up, something to tell people when they're down.

Ma'aleca'andra-Mars. Not my choice, Wiki says so. It's so fucking long though...that the only time mars will be called this, is if in conversation. Or if I feel like I've said 'mars' too much. XD


	10. Pure evil

Not being a huge fan of Superman, I had to do some research on the planet Krypton. And after some speculation I found one version that suited what my story was trying to do. So this Krypton is based on the modern Krypton. As this does take place 10,000 years in the past, the Clone wars have yet to begin. The Jor-El mentioned is the father to Jor-El, who is the father to Kal-El, a/k/a Superman. Or more simply; Kal's grandfather. So meh. If you want more information on the modern Krypton, wiki it.

()

Weird.

Lhed Xojil and Bruce were sitting.

At the table.

Right next to each other.

And they were talking.

Weird.

A look at his k'nichtka and L'helum told him that they were just as surprised and floored as he was. Understandable. Just hours ago, the energy between them had been tense and uncomfortable. Lhed Xojil was still acting like his same merry self, and Bruce was still quiet. But the early animosity that he could feel radiating from the human was gone. J'onn blinked, knowing he'd missed something _somewhere _but...

Well, if they were getting along, then why push it? The less drama the better.

Naculh smiled pleasingly at her mate, who winked back. "Well I'm glad you two are getting along better."

Bruce looked up from his bowl, and J'onn was puzzled at the _bright_ smile on his face.

That was _different _...

"Lhed Xojil is funny. And charming. And caring. And FULL of x'kniror goodness."

Saw his V'lmnta's choke on his drink with embarrassment and chuckled. _That _was more like the Bruce he knew. For a second there he was thinking his companion had changed.

_Crisis averted, _J'onn thought dryly, sitting down at the table. A few minutes later and L'helum and his V'lmnta were out the door on their way to work. Naculh had important errands to run, so he'd have Bruce all to himself today. He'd be the one to show him the sites of Mars and all it had to offer.

He'd already worked out a list in his mind, thankful for the first time in a while that they lived in the heart of Ma'aleca'andra. They were within walking distance to basically everything and so they wouldn't have to use the dninls and he wasn't sure how Bruce would react to that. He was a _Martian _and even _he _got sick to his stomach whenever he used those things. Finished his bowl and waited for Bruce, who was _still _eating. First he'd show Bruce the R'tli'gak, then he'd show him the Aqi and maybe Zit'v's shop afterwards and ofcourse the yvidn'm, where Bruce would be attending once the term started...

Also, the Oezik, which had basically _everything _a person could ever want. Food, toys, gadgets, _books_...heaven.

_He's still a eating_? J'onn shifted in his seat impatiently. _How _could he still be eating? He'd been halfway finished when he'd seen him talking to his V'lmnta! The bowl didn't even look like it'd gone _down_ in substance at all. Why was he taking such a long time?! Didn't he want to see Ma'aleca'andra? He'd been so excited when J'onn was telling him about it. But no apparently he wasn't, as he was STILL. Eating.

Finally, Bruce was done. Humming, J'onn jumped up and headed towards the door, happy that they could begin the so--

"May I please have seconds?"

Those words caused him to freeze in his tracks. Seconds? _Seconds? **SECONDS?!**_

"Sure Bruce." Turned and glared at his companion, who was having his bowl filled. Again. By his K'nichtka, who was grinning at him with that knowing smile of hers. _She's like the worst k'nichtka ever..._

Stewing, he forced himself to sit back down, staring at Bruce with an evil look. Did that make him hurry? No. But it _did _make the corners of his mouth twitch.

As if he was fighting back a smile.

_No...he's..._Gold eyes widened. _Doing this on purpose?!_

J'onn growled. If Bruce thought he was going to buy him something from the Oezik, well he had another thing coming.

"This is _really _jvh'erk, Naculh." Bruce stated, swallowing the last of his meal. The Martian swore right then and there that if Bruce asked for thirds he was _not _going to be held responsible for his actions. As if sensing his possible doom, he pushed back his bowl and stood up. Again, J'onn headed for the door.

And again he wasn't followed.

Turned to see what was holding Bruce this time and had the urge to bang his head against the wall.

Dishes. He was helping his k'nichtka with the dishes.

How sweet. Except it wasn't. Because Bruce wasn't doing it out of the kindness of his heart. No. He was doing it because he was _evil_.

_Evilllllllllllll_...

Took in a deep breath to steady his rage and was fully prepared to wait it for the human to finish.

Until he started humming. Humming. HUMMING! He was putting J'onn through pure _hell _and he DARED to be happy about it?! _That's it!_

Grabbed Bruce by the hand and stormed out of the house, swearing for the second time that sol that if he even felt a slight _tremor _in his hand, that he was going to _kill_. Evil incarnate wasn't allowed to laugh at him. Ever.

"Wow, J'onn, I didn't know you were in such a hurry." Bruce stated in a tone that just _oozed _innocence. "You should have said something."

Whipped around, his jaw slack. Oh.He.Was._Not. _NO way was he innocent. There was just no way." You-ju-you—_M'NKTE!!_"

It slipped out before he knew what he was saying and he hid his face in shame as he saw people giving dirty looks, no doubt from calling the poor _sweet_ human such a foul name. And it was _so _not helping that Bruce was snickering at him. Nor did it help that he could hear Naculh's roaring laughter echoing inside the house.

He groaned.

Felt his hand being grabbed and suddenly it was _his _turn to be pulled along. "C'mon. L'helum said there was this new moving display of the Grykyivs in the oezik that we simply had to see! I've no clue what that is but he said that one of them had six eyes and the other one was from _Krypton_? The oezik's this way, right?"

J'onn pouted. When did this turn from him showing Bruce the sites to Bruce showing _him? _

Aware that his friend was being rather quiet, he glanced over his shoulder and saw the sulky look on J'onn's face. "Awww, B'vrmnko J'onn! I forgive you for calling me a m'nkte!"

That got him a dirty look, one filled with loathe and ill intentions. He laughed.

J'onn smiled.

Maybe he'd buy Bruce something after all...

()

They ended up sending the majority of the morning in the book shop of the oezik. J'onn hadn't _meant _to spend that long but then he'd seen the newest book to his favorite series...it was very popular on Mars and he wasn't one to normally follow the latest fad but the books were damn _good. _And even though he knew it would only make him depressed, he looked at the price. His shoulder's slumped, knowing he'd have to wait a few months for it to go down, but it was _so _annoying because everyone else was talking about how _awesome _it was, and instead of being able to read it himself he was going to have to listen about it.

Sighing, he turned away from the display shelf and started looking around for his friend. It'd been quite some time since breakfast and he was starting to get hungry, so he knew Bruce had to be getting there too. His stomach started to sink, not being able to spot him any--...what the?

His head tilted as he took in what he was seeing.

Bruce was talking to the clerk. Actually, he was _sitting_ on the clerk's lap while talking to her. And his eyes were...huge. He looked even younger with his eyes that wide.

It was just...

_Cute_. He looked cute, sweet, innocent, and just utterly huggable, smiling a small grin that had the clerk blushing. And if J'onn didn't know Bruce any better he'd actually believe it. But seeing how he _did_, he was puzzled by the strange behavior. _What is he..._

Then those eyes got sad. Like unbelievably sad. Almost to the point where they were going to fill up with tears. His bottom lip was even starting to tremble. The clerk started stammering nervously, waving her arms around. Bruce sniffed and she lifted him off her lap and went into the back room, coming back a few seconds and handing Bruce a bag, giving him a tight hug, oblivious to the dark look he was giving her for taking such liberties.

_He's...using his cuteness to get free books? _J'onn blinked, completely stunned. Allowed himself to be pulled out of the store by Bruce, still trying to comprehend what he'd just seen. It wasn't that he couldn't believe it. He'd spent enough time in Bruce's mind to know just how crafty he could be...J'onn wasn't at all surprised that it worked. The little k'nika was _cute. _And he'd just ramped up his normal cuteness by three thousand percent.

But he still felt ashamed. Why hadn't _he _thought of that?

If he'd tried hard enough, he was willing to bet that Bruce would have been able to get him that book. And probably a few others...

As if on cue, the bag was shoved into his arms, jerking the alien out of his thoughts. Looking inside, he saw the very same book he'd been thinking about not two seconds ago. "You—you--" Well what was he supposed to do? Demand that Bruce return it? J'onn held the bag to his chest tightly. He couldn't do that! If he did that then...then...then he couldn't read it. And it wouldn't be fair to let Bruce's hard work go to waste...right?

They continued on towards the food section of the oezik in silence.

"What...you did was..._wrong_."

Bruce nodded. "Yes. Yes it was." It was said in a bland tone, as if he knew and didn't care.

"And..._sneaky_..."

"Right."

"And wrong."

"Uh huh."

"And...wrong."

"You already said that."

"Thanks."

"You owe me." J'onn looked at him with a confused look, grinning as he watched Bruce shudder. "She hugged me. _Hugged_ me! Now I have tyfkixl cooties."

"Tyfkixl cooties?" The Martian asked as they entered the food court.

His friend nodded. "Cooties. Germs. Tyfkixls have them and if they touch you, you get them. And you'll become sick and _weird._"

_That is...puzzling. _"Maybe that's just Earth? The tyfkixls on Ma'aleca'andra seem okay..."

A doubtful look. "That's what they want you to think. All tyfkixls have cooties."

Chalking it up to some weird human belief, J'onn left Bruce at a table to go get some food for them. It was when he was making his way back that he'd finally realized his mistake. Several people had approached the table and more were joining. Some were asking Bruce questions, others were poking him with curious fingers. But one things was for sure, J'onn thought, as he saw the emotions playing across the k'nika's face...

He was _not _happy. Blue eyes were starting to widen to dangerous sizes, and some backed off, but it was too late. Bruce let out a wail that sounded so _heartbroken_ and pitiful...A few people tried to cheer him up but after the wails increased, they quickly bailed, running out of the food court with embarrassment. Shaking his head, J'onn sat down next to Bruce, who was still wailing.

"WAAAHHHHH--"

"They're gone."

"AAAAaaaa--really?" An eyelid opened up slightly to check for itself that the cost was clear. Seeing that it was, Bruce began devouring his food, all traces of tears gone. "Twice in one sol. Crying's hard work..."

Letting his shoulders sag with relief, J'onn started on his meal also. For a split second, when he'd seen all those Martians crowding Bruce, he'd been afraid that the human would have a panic attack, especially when one of the ones poking him had been a tyfkixl...the emotions showing in those eyes had flashed so quickly that J'onn had missed most of them, but one thing had registered.

Determination.

_Bruce can take care of himself._ J'onn realized, allowing a smile to cross his face. Looking over, he saw Bruce staring down at one of the fruit's on his plate, no doubt trying to figure out just _how _he was supposed to eat something that had spikes.

He patiently showed him the small fuzzy spot on the grey fruit and gave it a firm poke, causing the outside exterior of the fruit to fall off, revealing a smooth ball. Bruce copied his movements and gave the ball a tentative poke. After staring at it some more, he shrugged and took a big bite out of it, humming happily at the taste.

"Jvh'erk!"

_But that doesn't mean he won't need a little help now and then._

()

The R'tli'gak was a huge building, mainly used to keep in contact with other planets in the galaxy. In the back of the building there was a huge port where other ships of all sizes and colors parked. It was a popular place on Mars, with people from all over stopping by. Some to restock their supplies, others to catch up with friends, some to trade items or to simply go sight seeing. The place wasn't as packed as usual today, probably because it was still early, but the person J'onn wanted to see was there, walking towards them with a wide smile on his face.

"J'onn!" Barely had a second to protest before he was being pulled into a giant bear hug that threatened to crush his internal organs. "It's good to see you!" Aware that he was on the verge of killing his friend, he released the Martian, and moved to hug Bruce.

"Touch me and I'll bite you."

A loud laugh rang out, causing J'onn and Bruce to cover their ears. "A feisty one aren't ya?" Patted him on the back, smiling sheepishly when the human fell over. "Sorry."

His only answer was a glare.

"I'm Jor-El." The Kryptonian stated, not put off in the least. "Sorry about almost killing ya J'onn." A laugh. "I tend to get stronger when I'm in this close to the yellow sun..."

The Martian waved off his apologies, well used to it by now. He and Jor had known each other for a couple of years and every time it was the same. It would have been humorous if it didn't hurt so much. "Jor-El, this is Bruce. Bruce, this is Jor-El."

Dark hair that reached his shoulders, kind eyes and strong facial structures made the alien look rather handsome. And had he not nearly broken his back, Bruce might have liked him a little more. As it was now, he was about a four on Bruce's scale of tolerance.

"What is it?" Jor-El asked, kneeling down to peer into blue eyes, unaware that he'd just dropped down a few points on a certain scale.

The _fire _that erupted in those eyes made the Kryptonian hobble backwards a few inches. Yes it was small, but it could have a poisonous venom type thing going on. After all, it HAD threatened to bite him...

J'onn blinked. "Human. I told you that."

"You were serious?" Jor shrugged. "I just thought you were joking...makes sense though. It being small and weak and a—ow!" Rubbed his shin, which was now throbbing painfully. "It kicked me!"

Another attack, this one getting his fingers as well. "OW!"

"It's name is BRUCE and I'm a k'nika you m'nkte!"

What was it about Bruce that made him hate people who were generally liked by everyone? L'Helum, Lhed Xojil...and now Jor-El...

_I'm not supposed to find this funny..._J'onn scolded himself, his shoulders shaking. _I'm not. He-he shouldn't be using that type of language. Shouldn't find this funny...but the **look **on Jor-El's face..._

Tried to be responsible, thinking about what his V'lmnta would do if it were he in this situation, and his shoulder's started shaking even more.

_No. Stop it. Not funny. S'not..._

Tried to think of what his K'nichtka would do and realized that she'd react just the same and succumbed to the waves of laughter trying to bust out, receiving a dark look from Jor-El and a snicker from Bruce.

The snicker turned into a giggle and soon he was shaking just as hard as J'onn was.

Jor pouted. "You guys are mean."

After their laughter died down, Jor-El led them back to his ship. "You kind of caught me at a bad time, we're just getting ready to return home." He explained, rummaging through a few boxes. "So everything's thrown around even though I TOLD them to leave your things out and—This is SO not funny! Nimda's going to KILL ME! I can't believe they actually thought she was serious!" J'onn leaned over to see what it was and chuckled as he recognized the sex toy he was holding; a popular Martian one that was known on several planets for its effectiveness. "Maybe she _was _serious. Been having trouble lately?"

Jor shoved the item back in the box, his cheeks flushing. "Do you want my help or not?"

Giving him an apologizing smile, he let the alien have his space and saw that Bruce was looking at him with a confused expression. Stared back at him with the same face, before realizing that he'd never explained to Bruce just _why _they were meeting Jor.

"K'nichtka mentioned that your clothes were looking small. We have no need for clothing, but um..." He shifted. "I thought that you might be uncomfortable walking around in nothing, so I asked Jor if he'd mind sparing a few items."

Glancing down at his attire, Bruce noticed he was right. The pants he'd been wearing when he'd first appeared were a year old, a few inches above his ankles. The sleeves of his shirt didn't quite cover his arms anymore either and he tugged at them, wondering how he'd managed to miss all this.

Well, he supposed he had an excuse, with this being his first _real _day on Ma'aleca'andra and all...

"FOUND THEM!" Jor chirped happily, his arms holding several really _bright _articles of clothing. One was even pink. Bruce raised an eyebrow. "I am NOT wearing that."

The Kryptonian's face fell and even though he felt slightly guilty, he was still holding firm to his statement. He'd rather walk around naked then wear those things. And was about to say so, when J'onn gave him a warning look.

"These are rather...flashy...Jor." The Martian stated as tactfully as he could, which got a snort from his human companion.

Jor-El huffed. "Well you never mentioned if it—BRUCE--was fkixl or tyfkixl, did you? So I just _thought--_"

"Dangerous thing to do..." Bruce muttered, getting him a look from both aliens.

"--that Bruce was tyfkixl. And these are what they wear. They're not _that _ba--"

"If I have to wear those, I'm going home." Came the childish answer, making J'onn groan. He was so _stubborn_...he wouldn't return to his home because of his past but he'd leave if it meant dressing in feminine clothing?

"Bruce, you haven't even tri--"

"It's _h'vekn!_"

J'onn winced, admitting that he _did _have a point... "Just try--"

"You first."

Looked down at the garment in Jor's hands, taking in the frills and bright patterns. Then ripped his eyes away because any second longer and he was going to go blind.

He shot Jor a pleading look. "Isn't there anything else you can find?"

"Check the box to your left, Jor." Someone stated as they passed by, having overheard the conversation. "Nimda packed some extra ones just in case you were wrong. Which you were. Again."

Grumbling, Jor-El opened the container as instructed and pulled out a few items.

They were darker, had an amount of zero frills and felt different that the clothes he was currently wearing. Like nothing he'd ever felt of before. Not quite silk...but it was the closest he was able to explain it. He picked up one of the outfits and allowed Jor to show him where the bathroom was, coming out with a pleased look on his face. Stared at Jor for a few seconds and then nodded, saying, "I forgive you for being a m'nkte."

J'onn choked back the snicker that threatened to break loose, aware that this time Bruce was honestly being sincere in his forgiveness.

Jor-El seemed to know that to, nodding back and saying, "And I forgive you for kicking me."

He rose up to about a six on his scale of tolerance, and with that they left the R'tli'gak

()

Oezik-Mars' equivalent of a mall.

R'tli'gak-if I had to give it a name, I guess...an observatory type of building?

Aqi-Library

Zit'v's shop- Zit'v is a name. So he's planning on taking Bruce to Zit'v's shop. ,

Yvidn'm-School

M'nkte- ass, jerk, dick...

V'lmnta-father

K'nichtka-mother

Tyfkixl-female, girl

Fkixl-male, boy

H'vekn-pink

Jvh'erk-delicious.

Ma'aleca'andra-Mars


	11. Mjretvos

()

(A/N: This chapter jumps ahead a few months)

The yvidn'm building stared down at Bruce in an intimidating manner, making him feel like he was two inches tall. He'd been on Ma'aleca'andra for a few months now. His Martian was improving and he didn't even have that big of an accent. The telepathy thing wasn't improving as much, but he had a better grasp on it then he did when first starting out. L'helum and J'onn had prepped him on what the school sol would be like, trying to relieve some of his worries.

It didn't help though.

Try as they might, it didn't change the fact that he was _human_. The only human on Mars. And he stood out like a sore thumb, which was exactly the opposite of what he wanted to do; blend in. Naculh had said that he needed to make more friends but he didn't care about socializing. He just wanted to get through the day without being noticed.

Gathering his nerves, he entered the building and found his classroom, taking a seat in the far back.

The others started filling in soon afterwards and as more looks were shot his way, Bruce felt his heart sink, knowing that his prayers of being invisible were going to go unanswered.

()

The first period of learning was pure misery.

Any time the b'ivnor asked a question, he was immediately called on. The strain of all those eyes on him made him nervous, causing him to stumble over his words and several times his Martian had to be corrected. The snickering of his classmates weren't helping him feel any better about the situation either.

The first time he didn't understand he'd said as much and was humiliated when a few of the other k'nika's started to laugh. He'd have been able to ignore them if it weren't for the fact that the b'ivnor had given him an annoyed look, clearly thinking that he should have understood such a simple lesson.

After that, he kept his questions to himself, silently struggling with the little test that had been passed out; one that was supposed to determine what level everyone was at. He was the last to turn it in, and even _then _it had been incomplete. The b'ivnor didn't show him any mercy, continuing to call on him often. His answers became more garbled, his mind frozen. Even answers that he _knew_, questions that he should have been able to answer, caused his mind to go blank, and his stuttering to increase.

It seemed to go on forever, until they were dismissed for a quick break. Realized that he'd have to go outside and suddenly wished that the break was over. Didn't have enough nerve to stay though, not with the b'ivnor shooting him such dark looks as it was. He took his time though, not at all in a hurry. Maybe...maybe they'd get bored and would just ignore him?

Bruce wanted to laugh at his optimism as he recalled how school had been back on Earth; how k'nika's just _loved _to pick on the outsiders, the different ones.

And judging by the way they laughed at him in the classroom...

It seemed that some things were universal.

They crowded around him the second he stepped outside, their faces mocking and full of scorn.

"I heard humans were _mjretvos _but this is just too much!" One of them stated, laughing loudly. The others joined him and Bruce quickly came to the conclusion that _he _was the leader.

What was his name? Xi...Xish'ilh?

_Mjretvos...I know that word..._

The slur finally registered and his eyes narrowed. "I'm not stupid."

"_Says_ the one who took so long to realize what mjretvos _meant_..." Came the taunt, causing more laughter.

Bruce's face grew hot. "I'M NOT!"

Xish'ilh sneered at him. "You didn't even get one question right!"

At hearing that, he fell silent, unable to come up with a retort. He was getting more emotional, and when that happened his words started to become garbled and he didn't want to give them any more ammo.

That and...it was true, he hadn't gotten any right. But...only because he was nervous...that didn't make him mjretvos did it?

If they made any more cruel jokes, Bruce didn't hear them, too absorbed in his thoughts. The break ended and they filed back in, the tests from earlier on their desks.

Saw the marking on it, recognizing it to mean 'fail' and bit his lip.

He wasn't mjretvos. He wasn't.

Luckily, the b'ivnor seemed to have enough of humiliating him, and proceeded to ignore him for the rest of the period. He tried to pay attention as best as he could, but again there were some things that just flew over his head, and he didn't have enough nerve to bring it up.

Did J'onn think he was mjretvos?

Was that why he was nice to him?

Because of pity?

_No..._His mind stated firmly as he started taking notes. _J'onn said that I was his friend._

J'onn wouldn't be his friend if he thought he was mjretvos, right?

But what if...what if he started to believe that he _was_? What if they were right and he _was_ mjretvos and J'onn decided that he couldn't stand hanging around a human any more? And he stopped being his friend and then what?

He'd be left alone.

Again.

No. _No! _He couldn't let that happen. Swallowing, he forced himself to focus even more, but it was so hard with their laughter ringing in his mind. They were obviously expecting him to fail, and he was. Miserably. Luckily, since it was the first day and all, the day was cut short, ending with the b'ivnor giving out a light load of work to take home with them. Bruce's eyes widened when he saw what the Martian definition of a 'light' load was. Three times as much as Earth's.

How was he supposed to complete this? He had no _clue _what the lesson was about. There was just no way...he thought of J'onn and narrowed his eyes in determination. Help or no help he was _going _to prove to them that he was just as smart as they were, if not more so.

The class was dismissed.

"LAST ONE OUT IS A HUMAN!" Xish'ilh shouted, and several laughs and squeals sounded out as all the k'nikas raced to the exit, none of them wanting to be the 'human'.

Bruce left the building calmly, his throat threatening to tighten as he made his way to the Aqi. He had a _lot _of reading to do if he was to ever understand any of this. And as he started pulling disks off the shelves, the word mjretvos kept circling through his mind.

Loaded up one of the computers and struggled with the controls, all the while chanting, _I'm not mjretvos. I'm not. I'm __**not**__._

()

Dinner that night was nerve wracking and seemed to take such a long time. Bruce shifted in his seat, itching to get back to his and J'onn's room so he could study. He still didn't understand a lot and he wasn't even _close _to completing his homework. It was due in two sols and it didn't feel like nearly enough time to grasp everything. Really, he wasn't that hungry but forced himself to eat anyway, not wanting to worry Naculh, who was already so concerned about how unsocial he was...

"Did you make any new friends today, Bruce?" She asked, and he froze for a split second.

_Friends? _

_I heard humans were mjretvos but this is just too much! _

_Says the one who took so long to realize what mjretvos meant..._

_You didn't even get one question right!_

_LAST ONE OUT IS A HUMAN!_

Somehow, he managed to smile. "We shared a few laughs."

The pleased look on her face made it worth lying, he told himself, taking another bite.

()

"You've been reading for a long time, Bruce." J'onn stated softly from his bed, causing Bruce to jump. It'd been quiet for hours and the sudden noise was quite startling. He gave a shrug, trying to be as normal as possible. "It's interesting."

J'onn didn't answer. There had been something _off _about him during dinner. He'd only said a handful of words about how his day went and nothing more about the so called 'friends' he'd made, other than 'we shared a few laughs' which could mean _anything_. It could mean that they were laughing_ with _him or _at _him.

And he wasn't sure which one it was.

Maybe he was just jumping to conclusions. After all, when he'd returned from his first day of yvidn'm, he'd spent the rest of the week reading all the books given to him. L'helum had teased him nonstop and it irked him to this day that his grades _still _didn't match up to his brother's, who never studied, _ever_...

And maybe he was right on the mark. But he wasn't going to get anywhere by forcing the issue. Bruce would clam up, maybe get angry and then he'd never get anywhere.

For now...he'd just watch his friend closely.

"I'll leave you to it then." He left the room, and Bruce let a flash of frustration show on his face. Why couldn't he _get it?!_

()

It took a _lot _of reading to finally understand. And once he did, it was like something clicked in his mind and there was a brief moment of 'ah hah' that felt _so _unbelievably satisfying...

Until he realized that it was time to turn in his work and he _still _hadn't managed to complete all of it. It didn't deter him though; he was just going to have to try harder. Much harder. And so he did, spending every moment that he could with his nose in a book or pressed up against a screen, determined to prove himself.

But for every step forward he took, it seemed like the other k'nikas were taking two. They were learning at a much faster, easier pace than he was and it was frustrating the hell out of them. Especially when the teasing got worse. They started to hide his disks and books in very hard to find places. Some he found by the end of the class, others he _still _hadn't been able to locate. He gritted his teeth and tried to ignore them, telling himself if he kept ignoring them they'd eventually leave him alone...

However, as the days passed and the teasing increased, Bruce found his temper growing shorter and shorter until one day he just snapped and punched Xish'ilh hard across the face, causing the Martian to go flying back. All the anger and loneliness he felt melted away and it felt _good_...

Until Xish'ilh started to cry. Loudly. Which was a bit dramatic; he hadn't hit him _that _hard...

_That _was when he realized his mistake, as the b'ivnor rushed over and demanded to know what was going on.

Xish'ilh may have been egging him on, but _he'd _been the one who resorted to violence. By the time everyone else finished telling the story he ended up the bad guy and Xish'ilh the innocent one. It pissed him _off _and he was tempted to punch him again. He was already in trouble, what difference would it make?

But he didn't.

Throwing another punch would make him feel better, yes, but it wouldn't be _right_.

Not to mention it was going to be harder to convince Naculh of his innocence if she saw him beating the Martian into a pulp upon arriving...

Except...when Naculh came, she didn't ask _him _what happened. She'd asked the b'ivnor. Who had given _their _version of the story.

He didn't know what hurt more.

The fact that during the walk back home, while she was lecturing she never _once _asked to hear his side...

Or the fact that...

Xish'ilh was right. He _was _mjretvos.

Later, after more lecturing from Naculh and a disappointed stare from Lhed Xojil that just plain _hurt _, he sat on his bed, eyes gazing up at the ceiling.

Heard J'onn enter the room but refused to look at him. Because if his friend started on him too, he was going to do something embarrassing.

Like cry.

The martian said nothing, turning off the light before climbing into his own bed.

Silence filled the room for a long time, before he asked in a quiet voice, "Is that what _really _happened Bruce?"

Instead of answering though, he simply rolled over to face the wall.

If the b'ivnor didn't believe him...and if _Naculh_ didn't believe him...

Why would J'onn?

()

"A fight? It's just so...that doesn't _sound _like Bruce..." Lhed Xojil frowned, looking up from one of the machines he was tinkering on. It was something he'd been doing more and more lately, ever since Bruce had started yvidn'm.

He was worried for the little k'nika. Yes, he was adapting to Ma'aleca'andra without any major problems but he was _still _human.

So he couldn't help but be concerned. Was he grasping the lessons? Was he getting along with the others?

Recalled the conversation they'd just had with Bruce and winced.

Apparently the last one would have to be a no.

Starting a fight.

It just _floored _him. True, he hadn't known Bruce for a long time.

And it was also true that the human had a temper on him, yes, and he could be down right _mean _sometimes, without meaning to.

But...he honestly couldn't picture Bruce just going up and hitting someone without some sort of provocation.

Not that it would excuse his actions; resorting to violence was never the answer but he found it hard to believe that Xish'ilh and his posse were _completely _innocent.

Naculh seemed to think the same thing. "I don't know if I should believe Xish'ilh. He's always starting trouble; but his side is the only one I know. Bruce hasn't said anything to deny it."

Leaned back to stare at the stars for a few minutes, his mind turning over the possibilities. If Bruce were truly free of fault, then wouldn't he try to protest more? Get angry at their false accusations? But no.

He'd just sat through it all, his eyes showing some strange emotion.

And as Lhed Xojil realized what that emotion was, his frown deepened.

Acceptance.

He was accepting their judgment, without even trying to fight it.

As if it were _useless_ to fight it.

The gears in his mind started whirling faster, as he went over everything that had changed since the yvidn'm term had started.

Bruce had started to become more withdrawn, when he was just beginning to come out of his shell.

He no longer went out with J'onn or L'helum, instead saying that he had to study. He was always studying.

His appetite was practically nonexistent.

And then...a fight.

Fiddled with the tool in his hands, knowing what the signs were pointing to but not wanting to admit them. He liked to believe that his people were above ridiculing others because of their differences but... apparently he believed wrong. "Maybe...he didn't say anything...because he didn't think we'd listen to him. Did you ever _ask _for his side?"

His mate froze. "I-well...it just..." Her shoulders slumped. "No. I didn't."

Pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her in a soothing gesture.

She sighed. "He's being bullied."

"I know."

"I don't want to believe it."

"Me either."

"What do we do about it?"

"Can't do anything unless he admits it."

Was about to say something else, when the back door opened, showing J'onn and L'helum, who were both breathing harshly.

"It's Bruce. He's gone."

()

yvidn'm-school

Ma'aleca'andra- Mars. (curse you wikipedia--CURSE YOUUUU!! XD)

Mjretvos-stupid, idiot, moron

K'nika- child

B'ivnor-teacher

. I think that's it for this one.


	12. Xish'ilh's Promise!

They spent the rest of the night looking for Bruce, searching everyplace they could think of. And as J'onn entered yet _another _store in the oezik, he had to fight back a growl of aggravation. He was mad. At his k'nichtka and v'lmnta, for immediately assuming the worse. At Bruce for not coming to him when he needed help. And at himself for not_ noticing_ that he needed it. If only he'd been more aware...if only he'd _asked _more questions, instead of just deciding to keep a close eye on him.

Now his friend was gone and from the way things were looking, he wasn't going to be found until _he _was ready.

Sighing, he left the oezik and slowly started back home. The sky was turning a light pink now and would soon be turning it's usual yellow color. He couldn't search any longer; it was time to meet back with his family and tell them that he hadn't had any luck.

So caught up in his thoughts, it took nearly three times for Jor-El to call his name before he noticed. "Jor, I'm not really in the..." His sentence fell short upon seeing the small form he held in his arms.

"Is that..._Bruce?_"

Jor-El nodded, his eyes not at all twinkling like usual. "I found him in the R'tli'gak, staring at the display of Earth." He bit his lip. "I think there's something wrong with him."

Was going to ask him what he meant, when he saw Bruce's eyes. They were completely _dead_. Blank.

"Bruce? Bruce what happened?"

Nothing. Looked at Jor, silently asking if he'd had any success, only for the Kryptonian to shake his head. "I've tried everything."

They kept trying during the entire trip home, talking to him and asking questions, so desperately wanting to fix whatever was bothering him. Except they _couldn't _unless they had some idea of what was going on.

But Bruce didn't say a word.

()

When he found out, he didn't remember what he felt, or if he felt anything at all. A split second of loneliness perhaps, but then there was a pleasant numbness that threw everything into a haze. His body moved on autopilot, his mind completely blank on the ongoings around him. A few times he heard a faint noise, like someone was trying to talk to him.

Or trying to get him to talk to _them_.

Bruce wished they'd stop. He didn't _want _to talk about it. Didn't want to explain or have a heart to heart. Right now he just wanted to forget.

Forget about what he'd seen when trying to get back to Earth.

Forget about the bows and arrows and the huts and weird clothing...

And so long as he let the numbness wash over him, he could.

How many sols had passed since he'd made that discovery? That the humans on Earth weren't like him at all? That _this _Earth was the Earth of _his _past? It seemed like forever, but he wasn't exactly sure. The only thing that Bruce was aware of was waking up and going to bed. Everything else between those two points was a complete and merciful blank.

In this state he didn't have to deal with those k'nika's laughter.

_LAST ONE OUT IS A HUMAN! _

Didn't have to struggle in yvidn'm just to get barely passing marks.

_I heard humans were mjretvos_ _this is just too good!_

Or Lhed Xojil's disappointed stare.

_Or the fact that his home didn't exist yet. _

Bruce was tired of this and he wanted to go home. Back to Gotham; to Alfred, who would have _asked_ for his side before judging him.

Except he couldn't. Martians were an advanced race but not _that _much. He knew this as it'd been one of the questions he'd first asked J'onn upon learning just _where _he was.

"_MARS?! Do you have like um floating things?!" His eyes had widened. "What about...time machines?" Thinking that if he could get a hold of one that maybe...just maybe he could go back and **save **them..._

_A chuckle. "Floating things, yes. Time machines, no."_

_Felt his hopes crushed but that was okay as he hadn't really been expecting a yes in the first place. _

"_That sucks."_

_He was starting to learn that good things didn't happen to him a lot. _

If he returned to Earth in _this _time he'd probably die. And if he left his daze-filled state he'd have to deal with the laughter and judging. He wasn't ever going to see Alfred again. Wasn't going to be able to see _Gotham _again. He'd told himself over and over that he had no plans on going home, but he'd felt comforted by the fact that if he _wanted _to that he _could_. It was a reassuring feeling; knowing that if things got too hard here, that he could just go back home.

But now it was taken away and he was stuck here, in a time where everything he knew didn't even _exist _yet and if it didn't exist then he shouldn't have to remember it.

It didn't work like that though; he _did _remember it. Remembered everything. And he just so wanted to forget...

As if on cue, the haze started to return and Bruce knew in a few seconds he'd just be existing for the next few hours, with no thoughts or worries to bother him.

He didn't belong on Mars.

But he didn't belong on Earth either.

A sharp pang in his heart, before the haze took it away, and he was simply _there_.

Maybe this time it'd stay longer.

Maybe it'd stay for...

_Ever._

Yeah.

He'd like that.

()

Xish'ilh wasn't used to feeling guilty.

He wasn't one who apologized for doing things. His mentality was if it happened it happened and there wasn't anything one could do about it. He didn't say sorry if he sometimes spoke too harshly or said cruel things.

Phrases like _I didn't mean it _were stupid. If you didn't _mean _it then why would you say it? There had to be some part of you that meant it, even if only a little. Didn't mean it? Lies. They were just sorry it hurt the person's feelings.

Nothing to make fun of by any means, but saying _I didn't mean it _was lying. And of all the things he hated, lying was one of them.

Lying meant that you were ashamed of saying the truth. Too cowardice.

Xish'ilh wasn't a coward.

So when he'd said that the human was mjretvos, he _meant _it.

The human hadn't answered one question right and his Martian had just been _horrible_.

If it couldn't give simple answers then it meant it was mjretvos.

So he'd been merely stating the truth. If the human didn't like it that was _his _problem.

Xish'ilh didn't lie. He didn't say sorry and he didn't _not mean _things.

So why was he feeling so guilty?

It was the human. Ever since day Bruce had punched him—something that still pissed him off—he'd fallen silent, refusing to speak. Even the b'ivnor hadn't been able to get a response out of him. It had gotten him into trouble for many times until the b'ivnor had given up, realizing that she wasn't going to get him to talk.

Still, it wasn't any of his business.

So what if the human didn't speak?

So what if it's eyes looked completely lifeless, much like his k'nichtka's had when his v'lmnta had died?

So _what _if it was about to get beaten up by Tib'zh and Iloyu?

It was the own human's fault; walking right into those two. _Everyone _knew to avoid them. Their tempers were legendary and they weren't above pounding someone younger then they were. Not _only _had Bruce just walked into them, knocking the disks out of their hands, he hadn't even apologized. Not that it would have _mattered_ though. A simple thing like that was all it took to enrage the two brothers.

None. Of. His. Business.

Not. His. Fight.

Then why in the _hell _was he running forward, with the intent to make them back off?! Why was his body moving of it's own accord? Why wouldn't it just _do _what his mind told it to and just walk away like the others were?

The answer revealed itself as he shoved Bruce out of the way, taking the punch that was meant for him. It was hard enough to send him sprawling to the floor, next to the human, who'd fallen down also.

_Because that would have been cowardice. _

Xish'ilh looked up at the two towering Martians and gulped, silently praying to H'ronmeer and back that something, _anything _would happen to draw their attention away from--

"HEY! WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING?!" At seeing a b'ivnor run towards them, he breathed out a sigh of relief, mentally apologizing for all those times he'd called H'ronmeer mjretvos compared to Lord L'Zoril...he hadn't _meant _to say it, really...

Tib'zh and Iloyu were led away, both shooting them dark looks that promised vengeance. Xish'ilh pulled himself into a sitting position and looked over to see how the human was faring, only to gape. Bruce was walking away from him. Without so much as a 'are you okay' or 'thanks' or his personal favorite 'I am now in your debt for eternity and shall do whatever you say'. Nope. Just _walking. _Away. From him. HIM. Xish'ilh, who'd just _saved _him.

_M'NKTE!! _

"HEY! I JUST SAVED YOU!" He shouted, not caring in the least at how the others were staring at him strange. "IS THAT ANY WAY TO SAY THANKS?!"

Wasn't really expecting an answer at all, which was why he was so surprised when Bruce'd stopped and said, "Nobody asked you to." before continuing on.

Growling, he stood up and started home. _Nobody asked you to?! What type of thank you is that?! _

He huffed. If Bruce thought he was going to save him again then he had another thi--

_Nobody asked you to._

Heh. So it pissed the human off when he saved him?

Xish'ilh smirked. Well then he'd just have to _keep _saving him, then wouldn't he?

()

"...haven't been able to sleep lately. I'm worried about him, Jor." J'onn stated softly, gazing into his now empty cup with a pensive look on his face. "He hasn't said a word in..."

He frowned, disturbed that he'd lost count of the sols. "...ages. And today he came home with bruises on his arms."

Of course he hadn't told them _where _he'd gotten them, which lead to L'helum storming out of the house, cursing up a storm and Naculh cleaning up in a feverish manner, no doubt going through all types of possible scenarios in her mind. Lhed Xojil hadn't found out about the bruises yet but once he _did_...

J'onn was seriously beginning to consider going into Bruce's mind. It was the only thing he could think of that could help solve just _what _had caused Bruce to cave in on himself. However, the chances of him being able to get _in _were slim; most likely the Monster would be there and if _L'helum _couldn't best it, what were the chances of _him _being able to?

"Maybe he's homesick." Jor-El suggested, jerking the Martian out of his thoughts. "What?"

The Kryptonian shifted, tugging at his shirt collar uneasily. "Well, I _did _find him staring at that display of Earth...what if he just misses his home and doesn't want to admit it?"

He sighed, shaking his head. "V'lmnta has already asked him that."

"And?"

"And Bruce didn't say anything."

Jor slammed his cup down, eyes flashing irritably. "Ask again! Except this time, in his head! He's ignoring you on the outside, so try talking to him on the inside!"

He rubbed his fingertips nervously. "I've told you about that Monster of his--"

"So?! You'll just have to defeat it!"

Growing angry at how _simple _his friend thought it to be, he snapped, "Defeat the Monster?! Wow that's so brilliant! Why didn't _I _think of that!?"

"It can't be that hard to defeat J'onn!"

"You haven't _seen _it! How would you know?!"

"Bruce is human! You're a Martian! How can you be afraid?!"

"It _threw_ L'helum across the room!"

"L'helum's a m'nkte! He doesn't count!"

"Well so are you! So you don't count either!"

"I am NOT a m'nkte!"

"That's not what BRUCE thinks!"

"He forgave me for that!"

"Doesn't mean he changed his mind!"

"GO INSIDE HIS HEAD J'ONN!"

"YOU'RE NOT THE BOSS OF ME!"

"YOU'RE SUCH A K'NIKA!"

"AND YOU'RE SUCH A M'NKTE!"

The yelling died down, both of them glaring at each other with hate in their eyes. The only sounds were the ones of their harsh breathing. Until Jor-El's shoulders started to shake. J'onn was determined to stay mad at the Kryptonian, but soon found himself laughing also, their argument echoing inside his mind. His laughs died down to chuckles and he gave Jor a firm poke. "M'nkte."

"K'nika."

He sighed, nodding his head. "Alright, but if I'm going, you're coming with me."

Jor-El grinned. "Then I can face down this Monster and show you there's really nothing to be afraid of!"

While he _knew _the situation was serious, J'onn couldn't help but smirk. Obviously he still held onto some of his beliefs that because Bruce was human, he was a weak creature. One would think he'd learned something upon their first meeting but...

Ah well.

He'd learn soon enough.

()

:dances: review! Review or I shall POUT. Oh yes. Pout. ;.; do you want me to pout?


	13. It's okay

Mars: An Elseworlds Story

Chapter 13

()

It took only a few minutes to convince Lhed Xojil to allow J'onn to enter Bruce's mind, saying that he'd been a few days away from asking that himself. What took even _longer _though, was convincing them to allow Jor to accompany him.

"It's too dangerous!" L'Helum was saying. "That Monster threw_ me_ across the room!"

"You don't count!" Jor stated.

"Oh really? Why's that?!"

The Kryptonian opened his mouth to explain, when J'onn shot him a warning look. He knew all too well about how much Jor and L'helum despised each other. They just did _not _get along. It probably had something to do with the way his brother had shamelessly flirted with Nimda upon meeting her...

And had lasped into a speech about how she should leave 'the oaf' and become his mate. Jor had been _right _there but had that stopped him? No.

Jor was _very _tempted to just ignore the _look _and say what was on his mind, but if he did _that _then J'onn probably wouldn't let him come along and he so desperately wanted to see the Monster...

"Because...you...are...ahhh...familiar!"

That got him weird looks from all of them. "What?"

"Uhhh...see...Bruce already...knows...you. So he knows how to deal with..you. Knows what to expect and uh..." A cough. "Well I'm Krptonian sooo...uh...he might...have...trouble. Yeah. Trouble."

It was so _obviously _something that he'd come up with on the top of his head but it made enough sense that they couldn't ignore it. Naculh stared at him for a few seconds before giving a tense nod. "Okay. But the _second _he throws you out, that's it."

Jor grinned. "EXCELLENT!"

Sighing, J'onn grabbed his hand and closed his eyes.

()

Naculh had to take back her condition. Because it wasn't ten seconds after J'onn had closed his eyes that they went _flying _across the room and into L'helum, landing on the floor in a painful heap.

"Owww..."

Jor of course, had jumped right back up, pulling J'onn along with him. "AGAIN! The Monster just got lucky that time!"

Didn't have time to remind them of the promise they'd made; they were already back inside. But she didn't have time to get angry either; twenty seconds and they were back on L'helum, who was shrieking because he had _moved _away from his last spot...

Shaking her head, she took a seat next to her mate, who was snickering. "Something tells me this is going to take a while..."

J'onn closed his eyes once more, and this time L'helum stepped further away, almost touching the door.

Thirty seconds, and the three of them were back on the ground again. "BRUCE! STOP THROWING THEM AT ME!"

Lhed Xojil's snickers grew louder. "I-I don't think he has any control over which direction they go flying in." His eyes widdened when they landed on top of his son for a third time. "Then again..."

The fourth time though, L'helum got smart and decided to stand right behind Bruce. That way, if evil incarnate threw them his way again, they'd land on _him _too. Closed his eyes, waiting for them to get thrown out. After all, Bruce might just throw them his way just in spite...and then there'd be _three _people on top and that would _huurrt..._

Almost two minutes passed this time until they went flying. Both of them shot up, J'onn looking amazed and Jor looking pissed. "TWO?! THAT'S CHEATING BRUCE!"

Naculh blinked. "Two?"

The Kryptonian huffed. "I tackled the Monster and kept him busy while J'onn started running past him. Almost _worked _too until a _second _Monster appeared! CHEATING BRUCE! THAT IS CHEATING!"

Well...at least they'd landed on the table this time...

L'helum grinned.

()

"_TWO?! THAT'S CHEATING BRUCE!"_

Even though it was pissing him off that they _refused _to give up and leave him in peace...Bruce couldn't help but smirk. When Jor had tackled his Monster, he'd felt a flash of anxiety, until it hit him that if there was two of _them _it only made sense for there to be two _Monsters. _It wasn't cheating. Two against one was cheating. Two against two was fair. Maybe this time they'd _stay _--

Ugh. No, they were trying again.

Why wouldn't they just stay away? He was doing everyone a favor by staying inside his mind. This way he wouldn't have to deal with reality and _they _wouldn't have to deal with a mjretvos human. It was a win-win situation! So _why _did they keep trying to make him come out; trying to _save _him?!

He didn't _want _to be saved.

Shouldn't he have a say in this? Sighing, he threw them out once more. It barely took any effort from him but it was annoying. He had to concentrate when they kept breaking in. So that meant he had time to _think _about things. Something else he didn't want.

Because when he started to _think _about all that had happened, he didn't want to fight them anymore. He wanted to just curl up into a small ball and cry. Except he _couldn't _cry. Crying would make him remember and when he remembered...everything started to _hurt_.

Felt his throat start to tighten as they tried _yet again _to get past the monster and growled. He didn't _want _this! Didn't want to feel anymore!

_Let us IN Bruce, please--_

IN?! THEY WANTED IN?! His vision started to turn red. They wanted to see how much it _hurt?! _Well then he'd show them!

Snarling, he lashed out, making the Monster backhand J'onn and kick Jor. They wanted to _know _what was causing him pain?! Wanted to _help _him?! He'd just have to teach them a lesson. He'd make them hurt like was. Make him feel the pain he did. He wasn't going to kick them out this time; oh no. This time he was going to make them leave on their own.

And never come back.

()

J'onn and Jor had gone flying numerous times. Sometimes their reactions were funny, sometimes Naculh almost pitied them and was tempted to call it a night. They were starting to get tired. So much so that they were only lasting five to ten seconds. She knew what they were trying to do; weaken the Monster enough so they could get past. However it didn't seem to be working very well. As far as she could tell, the Monster was _growing _in strength.

Her mate had stood up and was going to tell them enough, when they suddenly started to scream out in pain. Bruises and cuts appeared on their skin and were only growing in number as the seconds passed by. Bruce was..._attacking _them.

Why?

They were only trying to help! Blood started to drip from some of their wounds and Naculh bit her lip. Why wouldn't they leave?!

_Because they're determined to help him..._ Her fists tightened. _Even if they die. Stubborn little..._

Their screams grew louder. Not able to take anymore, she reached out with her own mind and _yanked _them from Bruce's. Normally it would have had some serious consequences, but they were barely hanging on as it was so they'd be fine. A slight headache maybe, but they'd live.

_Bruce _on the other hand...

Fuming, she closed her own eyes and dived in.

What she saw made her rethink her thoughts on killing him.

Not because she was _scared _of the Monster. No.

But because she saw what J'onn and Jor didn't.

There was a lot of pain. And fear. Anger yes, but not a lot. It wasn't anger that was fueling the Monster. No it was his heart. That was filled with so much it was on the verge of breaking.

And that was when she realized.

The Monster wasn't some separate creature in Bruce's mind. It _was _Bruce.

Becoming aware of her presence, the Monster charged at her, with the intent of making her _bleed_. But Naculh wasn't afraid.

Waited until it was right in front of her, to wrap her arms around it, in a way that only a k'nichtka can. Felt the Monster come to a screeching halt, trembling.

"_I'm sorry."_ She whispered. _"I'm sorry that you're in pain. I'm sorry I wasn't able to see it. Please, forgive me. Let me help. It's okay to cry."_Her hold tightened as it started to struggle. _"It's okay to feel hurt! It's okay...to need someone, Bruce. Let me be that someone."_

And suddenly, it wasn't the Monster in her arms anymore; it was Bruce. Just a nine year old boy who so desperately needed to be told that it was okay.

And it was.

()

His body was _sore_. It was a rare and uncomfortable feeling, seeing how he was Martian and Martians are fast healers. The cuts and bruises were almost healed but there was still a bone-deep weariness, along with one _hell _of a headache, that made it very hard to move. It was a good thing that the yvidn'm term didn't start for _him _for a few more sols. (He only had two more years until he was free to get a job and the idea both terrified and exhilarated him at the same time.)

Jor was laying in the bed right next to him, his scratches and bruises still very apparent. And judging by the way he was holding his head—he had a headache too.

_K'nichtka is mean._

Well, okay, he couldn't really say that. Because of her, Bruce was now sitting in between their beds, his eyes very much alive.

That made the soreness worth it, he thought, clearing his throat to alert his friend about his awareness.

Bruce started apologizing and Jor let out a grunt. "S'our fault for not trying Naculh's approach. Actually, it's _J'onn's _fault."

J'onn sighed. "Of course it is." A small smile. "But he's right. You don't have to apologize. You were hurting and you lashed out. Understandable."

He didn't really believe them, but he knew that they'd ignore any further tries so he just nodded.

"What happened, Bruce? What started it?"

He rubbed his fingertips together, and J'onn wondered if he was aware of what he was doing.

Well, if he was he obviously didn't care.

"I'm...from the future."

They blinked. "Oh."

"And with everything else that was happening it just..." A shrug. "Did something to me."

"The uh...bullying thing?" J'onn asked, his mind still in a daze. _Future? Wha...future?_

Bruce coughed. "Y-yeah. I um...I think I have a friend though. Not sure."

Jor-El blinked again. "Uh...friend...right. Right." _Future? The...really?_

"He's helped me out of trouble a few times now—are you two okay?"

He waved a hand in front of their eyes, only to roll his when they failed to respond. "Great. And you wonder why _I _reacted badly."

Shaking his head, he decided to leave them alone and left the room. That caused them to snap out of it.

"WAIT! COME BACK!"

"HOW FAR IN THE FUTURE?!"

"CAN HUMANS FLY?!"

"That's a dumb question. Humans _fly?_"

"It could happen!"

"Yeah right."

"It could!"

"Yeah, when _humans fly_."

"Cute. Real cute."

"J'onn, humans are weak and--"

"Oh please! Who do you think put you here?!"

"Bruce doesn't count!"

"Why not?!"

"Because it's BRUCE!"

"You'd THINK you'd _learn _something--"

"_You'd THINK you'd learn something--_"

"I do NOT sound like that."

"So?"

"Now who's acting like a k'nika?"

"_Now who's acting like a k'nika?_"

"K'NIKA!"

"M'NKTE!"

Leaning against the wall, Bruce smirked. _Mjretvos..._

()

MARTIAN VOCABULARY TAHM! WOOHOOO!! PARTAAAAAAAY!!

Mjretvos- stupid, idiot, moron, etc

K'nichtka- Mother, mom

Yvidn'm- School

K'nika- child

M'nkte- ass, jerk, dick...etc...

I like having Jor-El be the only one J'onn really ever raises his voice with. XD He's the only one besides Bruce who can make him want to bash his head against the wall...


	14. Heard it all

Mars: An Elseworlds Story

Chapter 14

()

(Two months later)

After rereading the same sentence for the third time in a row, J'onn gave up, closing the book with a soft sigh. He just couldn't concentrate as well lately. The reason why came to him and he shot a sulky look at Bruce, who was sleeping.

Bruce was hiding something from him.

And it was starting to tick him off. If it was a harmless little secret, he could have ignored it. He'd have been a bit curious, perhaps, but nothing he couldn't handle. Except it _wasn't_. It was something HUGE, he could just tell.

J'onn had a feeling he knew what it was too, if the light bruises on his skin were anything to go by. Bruce tried to hide it but...

He knew.

It was depressing and infuriating at the same time. They'd been through so much already and _still _Bruce refused to talk to him about such things.

Why? Why couldn't Bruce just _trust _him?

()

Xish'ilh didn't dare look back behind him as he raced forward, Bruce running right besides him. A month ago they would have been tiring right about now, having been at it for close to twenty minutes, but their bodies were starting to grow used to running for their lives on a daily bases.

It had all started when he'd taken the blow meant for Bruce, thus landing himself on Tib'zh and Iloyu's black list. Of course, when the human had started talking again, Xish'ilh had every intention on ignoring him but...

"There!" Bruce hissed, as they ducked into a narrow crack between two buildings.

He'd never really gotten around to it. Yes, hanging with the human had earned him a label as an outcast from his other peers, and they were constantly a target for Tib'zh and his gang but...

It was _fun_.

There was no _way _they could take on those huge guys on their own. Not only did Tib'zh and Iloyu out-rank them as far as muscle strength went but they also had _friends. Six _of them (affectionately dubbed goons 1-6) that were fast and just _loved _to hold them down...

Eight against two? Bruce and Xish'ilh weren't suicidal.

So they took to running away. No it wasn't a very brave thing to do. They'd _tried _doing the brave thing and had quickly learned their lesson. Not only had they lost but their k'nichtkas had been _pissed_. It had taken a lot of convincing to keep them from storming the yvidn'm to seek retribution.

Bravery didn't get them anything but trouble; running away would have to do for now. It wasn't that hard; Iloyu only had about an hour to burn once yvidn'm ended before he had to get to work and Tib'zh didn't like to do anything without his brother present. Which meant he and goons 1-6 would then leave them alone and they'd be safe until the next day.

Their success on giving the bullies the slip varied. Lately it seemed like they were losing more and more. Either the bullies were getting better or they were getting worse.

Today though seemed to be a lucky day, as they ran right past the small space they were hiding in without so much as a glance.

The two breathed a sigh of relief but didn't leave just yet; there was still about thirty-five minutes left until Iloyu had to leave. Plenty of time to be spotted and pounded upon. So they'd probably be stuck in this place for a while.

"Don't know why you just won't turn yourself invisible." Bruce muttered, rummaging around in his bag.

Xish'ilh shook his head, well used to this argument by now. It was something they constantly argued about. _Yes _he could turn himself invisible and thus lose the bullies, but then Bruce would be stuck dealing with them by himself and well...

That seemed...

_Cowardice. _

Not to mention cruel. Yes it hurt when they were caught but it wasn't a big deal; if Bruce could handle it then so could he.

Besides, there was still a part of him that liked pissing the human off.

"I'll turn invisible when you do."

That got him a scowl. "I'm working on it."

"Meh." Pulled out his own books and got comfortable, sitting on a few boxes. "Okay...I saw you digging through your notes during History...?"

Bruce pursed his lips together, his thoughts turning away from the bullies and onto more important matters. "The dates she mentioned coincide with another important event."

"That uh—treaty thingy?"

"Right. I was wondering if..."

And they stayed there for close to an hour, going through their work. Usually they did this in the Aqi but they already had everything pulled out and they didn't feel like moving. Besides; it wasn't _that _dark, really. And this way they didn't have to worry about being bothered.

Xish'ilh had taken to helping him with yvidm'n about a month ago and with his help Bruce found himself able to keep up. He wasn't able to get high marks like J'onn did, but he managed to score slightly above average. He wasn't quite sure when they had turned from enemies to friends but...

He wasn't complaining.

()

Tib'zh let a malicious grin cross his face as he and his brother started narrowing in on Xish'ilh and _the human_. They had been trying to catch up to them for the last couple of weeks and now, _now _they had them.

Saw a glimpse of fear pass through their eyes and smirked. "Look what _we _found..."

"Turn invisible!" The human was snapping to Xish'ilh, who already had his eyes closed tightly, preparing himself for the beating that was sure to come.

"You first!"

"I can't!"

"Exactly!"

That was why they were such _fun _to beat up; it was so easy to corner them. The human was weak and couldn't defend himself and Xish'ilh wouldn't leave his side. They could run for a while but that only made it more _thrilling _when they finally did catch them.

Picked the human up by his collar and shoved him against the wall, his ego purring in satisfaction when it winced in pain. "This," He drew back his fist, "is going to _hurt_."

()

_Ow. _

"You know..." The Martian stated once Tib'zh and Iloyu had left, painfully pulling his body into a sitting position. "she could have at least _told _us she was leaving the planet." Looking up at the sign hanging on the Aqi door, which said that she was going off planet and would be back in a few days, he growled.

They stopped by the Aqi nearly every sol! It was their safe haven, the one place besides home that they could go to without having to worry about _the goons _showing up.

Well they were going to have to find another place so hide out in now.

The growl turned into a groan as he took in the hole in his bag.

It was torn _again_. His k'nichtka was going to have a _fit_.

Bruce snorted. "Tell me about it." He wiped his nose and grimaced as his hand came away covered in blood. "Is it obvious we just got beat up?"

Took in the swollen lip, black eye and bloody nose and nodded. "Yes."

They both sighed.

"Naculh is going to be _pissed_."

"So is K'nichtka."

They sat there for a long time, neither of them wanting to go home. Because once they did...their k'nichtkas were going explode. B'ivnors would be called in, k'nikas interrogated and then their reputations would be _ruined_. Of course, they didn't really have that much of one to begin with. Running away from bullies practically every sol and spending most of their time in the Aqi didn't make them the most popular people but at least no one thought they were sissies who went sobbing to their parents just because of a few hits.

At last, Bruce stood up, offering his hand down to Xish'ilh and helping him to his feet. "Well...let's get this over with..."

()

Just when he was starting to think that maybe, just _maybe _God didn't _quite _hate him as much as Bruce thought he did...reality decided to prove him wrong.

On the way home he hadn't been able to come up with a sufficient enough lie and had been debating on whether or not he should break into tears while walking through the door, when he realized that it was quiet. Meaning...

Nobody was home.

And had breathed a sigh of relief. He wouldn't have to deal with Lhed Xojil's yelling or Naculh's over protective ranting about her 'poor k'nika'. Well...not tonight anyway. Headed towards his and J'onn's room, with the intention of cleaning up—only to freeze.

L'helum was sitting on J'onn's bed. And staring right at him.

He didn't look happy.

"Well don't you look _colorful_?"

Closing his eyes, he flopped over onto his own bed, trying hard to ignore the Martian. Hopefully he'd just leave him alone.

"How long as this been going on, Bruce?"

_Ignore it, ignore it..._

Eventually he'd give up and just--

"Well, if you'd rather talk to k'nichtka, I can always go get her."

And that was when he remembered that this wasn't J'onn he was dealing with, it was L'helum. Who didn't play fair. The crying thing wouldn't work with him; he'd probably just chuck something at his head to make him stop.

Felt the mattress next to him dip slightly and scooted away. He didn't really trust the m'nkte to sit that close to him without trying something...

"You said the bullying stopped."

"I lied." Bruce muttered.

A hand pulled him up harshly, making him lock eyes with the alien and he flinched at seeing the anger in those gold orbs. "Why? Why do you keep insisting on dealing with these things on your own?!"

He tried to pull away and scowled when he couldn't. He hated being this _weak_. "I didn't want you to make such a big deal out of it!"

A growl. "Someone is _beating _you up! So excuse me if I'm a little _concerned!_"

"I can take care of myself!"

L'helum scoffed. "Really? And how's that working out for you?"

Bruce gave his arm another yank and the Martian let him go, watching as he stormed into the wash room, sliding the door shut with a loud _wham! _

He sighed. That hadn't gone well at _all. _He'd left work early so he could try and talk to Bruce in a _calm _and _soothing _manner.

But when he'd seen the black eye and bloody nose..well...he'd lost it.

The door slid open a crack. "You going to tell Naculh?"

_I should tell her. He's obviously not capable of handling this on his own. But... _He shook his head. "No."

A slight pause. "Thanks." Then the door was closed, leaving L'helum in the room alone.

Another heavy sigh. Well, He'd found out what was going on...

Now what?

()

There were about six nau'kis (lasting three sols each) that took place every year on Mars. Four centered around their gods, C'eridyall, H'ronmeer, Lord L'Zoril and the Unmentionable One. One centered around peace between the other planets in the galaxies and showed the different cultures out there. The last one marked the end of the year and the beginning of the next. Each one was different and entertaining; plus yvidn'm was out the entire time.

C'eridyall's Nau'ki was taking place currently, and Xish'ilh somehow managed to talk Bruce into coming along with him. Sure, some of it was a bit corny (being about love and all...)and in his opinion H'ronmeer's was the best out of all of them but she still had some interesting things. Besides; it was something to do.

But as they raced through crowds of people, trying hard as hell to lose their predators, Xish'ilh couldn't help but wish that they'd stayed home. It just wasn't _fair_. Yvidn'm was out. They were free of tests, b'ivnors, homework and other k'nikas. So why, _why _couldn't they be free from bullies too?!

It just plain _sucked_. They ducked behind an empty booth and the Martian pouted. The nau'kis were always one of his favorite times of the year. And now, because of his relationship with _Bruce_, he couldn't even enjoy that. He was growing _tired _of it. Of getting pounded on, of constantly being harassed and having to run for his life...

Xish'ilh bit his lip.Why was he doing this anyway?

Looking up, he locked eyes with Bruce and gulped, knowing from his eyes that the human had just heard his thoughts.

"I understand."

"Bruce, _wait--_"

Not wanting to stay around to hear how _sorry _the Martian was, he took off, his throat burning. But then he realized that he'd ran right past _the goons _and couldn't concentrate on that anymore. They were right _on _his trail, and catching up, fast. He sighed. This had been more fun when he'd had someone running alongside him...

()

It was time to move on from Krypton. He'd stayed there for close to a decade now and things had been going smoothly. The people no longer looked at him with fear or disgust and he even had a few 'friends'. His home was nice, and held quite a few trinkets that he'd gathered up over the years.

So then why did he have to leave? Well he didn't _have _to. But he _needed _to.

You see, Aje was _bored_.

Lately he'd fallen into a routine. Which meant things were _normal_ and he just _hated _for things to go that way. Normal was boring. There were no adventures, nothing new or unusual. Just plain _boring _normalcy_._ Ugh. It was enough to make him want to cry. So, he'd gone with some people to C'eridyall's Nau'ki. It was on Ma'aleca'andra, a place he'd never been to before and he thought maybe he could settle down here for a while.

He thought wrong. Mars didn't seem to be any different from Krypton, not really. They had their buildings and markets and _people_. The language was very easy to pick up, unlike Kryptonese which had taken him _months _to learn. The sky was pretty, perhaps, but nothing that _stood out. _Just another civilization. He sighed depressingly, his fingers tapping on the table as he sat behind one of the booth displays, mentally cursing for allowing himself to be tricked into coming along.

_It'll be fun! Interesting! Something new and exciting!_

Aje snorted. Liars.

Was about to stand up and leave when suddenly a small form dashed behind his booth. "What the--"

"Shh!"

A bit miffed at being ordered around, he complied, blinking as he saw three people go running past them. When the strange creature didn't move, he nudged it with his foot. "They're gone."

It came out of hiding and Aje was able to get a good look at him. Kryptonian? He supposed it could pass for one but...it was rather scrawny...

"Bruce!"

Watched the creature's eyes narrowed as a small Martian came closer. _Bruce_? That wasn't a Kryptonian name...

Then what was it?

"Bruce I'm so...I didn't me..." The Martian fell silent and Aje felt a small measure of pity for whatever it was he'd done. It must have been pretty bad if he couldn't even apologize for it. The strange shook his head.

"S'okay Xish'ilh, I'm getting tired of this too..." Without so much as a backwards glance, the two walked off together, chatting amongst themselves.

Grinning, Aje left the booth and started towards his ship. He had quite a few things to pack if he wanted to be settle in by nightfall...

()

Run run run run run run run run _run!!_

That was the only thing going through Xish'ilh and Bruce's minds as they raced across town, trying hard to lose the goons. It seemed today that they were being exceptionally _smart_ and therefore impossible to ditch. They'd been going at it for close to thirty minutes now and they were starting to get _tired_. They couldn't go to the Aqi just yet. Stupid z'tyal'ik had _yet _to return from her little off planet trip. And of course it didn't occur to her to _hire _some other people to take over while she was gone..

Noooo that would have made their lives too frickin easy!

Xish'ilh took a sudden turn, dragging Bruce along with him and they watched as the goons continued on, oblivious to their hiding spot. The two sagged to the ground in relief. They did it _finally_. Safe. They were safe.

"How _boring_."

The safe feeling left; to be replaced by fear and disbelief. Bruce jumped and looked around for the speaker, only to frown. There was a person sitting on the roof. How...how could the goons not notice him? He was unbelievably tall. _Goons..._

The strange man hopped down from his perch, stretching in a loud manner. "I've been following you around for the past _week_ and all you two seem to do is _run._" A yawn. "Don't you ever think about sticking up for yourselves?"

He blinked at hearing them groan. "What?"

"Let me guess." Xish'ilh cleared his throat. "You're weak. Stop running. Stop being a _coward._"

Bruce rolled his eyes, adding, "Maybe they're misunderstood and just lack companionship. Maybe all they need is a _friend_."

"Oh! Oh! Or maybe he'll tell us that we should give 'em the ol' one-two!" The Martian mocked, punching the air for emphasis. "Because that'll REALLY show 'em!"

"Or my _personal _favorite..." The two shared a look. "TELL someone."

The tones they spoke in had him smiling sheepishly. "Heard it all, huh?"

A snort. "Oh yeah."

He didn't really know what it was about them that made him follow them around. They were boring.

But there was one thing that kept bothering him... "Hey...hey you." He nodded towards Bruce. "What _are _you?"

Bruce shrugged. "Human."

His jaw dropped. _Human?! _With the little...sticks and...arrows and..._animal skins_?! Human? No...they were the laughing stocks of the entire galaxy! Humans were weak and _dumb_. It wasn't their fault; they were just children as far as evolution went...they changed so _slow _though. What took them centuries only took most decades...

Tilted his head to the side, taking in this..._human_. His eyes were an interesting shade of blue, sparkling with irritation and intelligence. His body was...scrawny...but was starting to shape up. Probably due to all the running he and his friend did.

Human.

Wow.

Boredom was gone.

"Human..."

Xish'ilh snickered as the stranger almost fell over in shock. "Yeah, human." His eyes twinkled mischievously. "And he can _mind talk _too."

"No way!"

Bruce shot his friend a dark look, shaking his head. "Yes, _way_." He shifted his bag on his shoulder. "Come on, Xish'ilh. We better get home."

"Wait! I'm Aje!"

They waved. "Sure, Aje. See you later."

They weren't interested in him. But he was in them. Very interested indeed.

()

"You know...I can probably _help _you with this little running problem of yours." Aje stated one day, from his usual perch after watching the two of them escape their pursuers yet again. They no longer jumped at his presence, but they didn't view him as a trustworthy person just yet. So they'd only talk to him for a few minutes before leaving. Not nearly enough to satisfy his everlasting curiosity. More. He needed to know _more_.

Human. Bruce was human. How did he manage to get here? How was he able to survive? He spoke Martian almost perfectly with nary an accent. Were it not for his outside appearance he would blend right in. He was human yet he _wasn't_. Bruce was _different_.

And Aje needed to know more.

"Oh really?" Xish'ilh stated and Aje had studied them long enough to realize that it was the Martian who did most of the talking.

He nodded. "Yep. Haven't you wondered how I'm able to follow you without you knowing it?"

They watched him leap down from his spot and when they blinked, he was gone.

Searched around for him yet didn't see him anywhere. Suddenly he appeared again, back in his spot and they gaped. "Woah! How'd you do that?!"

Again, it was Xish'ilh who spoke up and Aje had to fight the urge to pout. Wasn't the little human interested? "Ah ah, that's _my _secret."

"What else can you do?!"

Keeping his gaze on Bruce, he taunted, "Why, are you interested?"

Blue eyes locked with his and he was amazed at the _fire _that burned in those orbs.

"Can you teach us?" Bruce asked and Aje wasn't even aware he was nodding until the human had smirked.

Was slightly annoyed yet at the same time amused. He responded with a smirk of his own. "Okay then! Off we go!"

"Now?"

He scoffed. "No silly. I'm just going to show you where I live. We start tomorrow!"

()

Bruce wasn't sure why he told J'onn what Aje was planning on teaching him. If anything he should be telling Naculh or maybe Lhed Xojil. Not J'onn. But there was a part of him that insisted that he let his friend in on what he was doing. J'onn had kept his mouth shut even though Bruce was pretty sure he knew what was going on. A few times he had even covered for him when Naculh had started to ask too many questions.

He didn't like lying to his k'nichtka and Bruce appreciated what he was doing for him. So maybe that was why he had decided to include him in on what was going on.

"I don't like it."

And that had threatened to snap his patience right there. He quickly got a hold of his temper; something that was getting harder to do as the sols passed. Hopefully Aje could help him with that too.

"I know." Bruce flexed his fingers in an effort to keep from balling them into fists. "But I'm tired of letting those m'nktes walk all over me."

J'onn placed a hand on his shoulder and just like that the anger melted away. The Martian wasn't trying to be difficult, he was just worried. Okay, he could deal with that.

"You could always tell k'nichtka what's going on."

That got him a sigh. "Do you really think that's going to stop them?"

He bit his lip for a few seconds, then shook his head. "No. Probably not."

It wouldn't solve everything and there was a chance it would only make things worse but...well...hadn't he wanted Bruce to trust him? To confide in him? If he didn't like what he heard...well then that was _his _problem.

Besides, if Bruce learned to defend himself it'd be one less thing he'd have to worry about.

J'onn smiled slightly. "Good luck."

()

Aje's house was...weird.

The inside was covered in strange shiny little trinkets that evidently all had a purpose as he'd snapped 'don't touch that!' at Bruce when he'd went to poke on of them. It was probably a good thing too. With his luck it would have shot him to Uranus or something...

One would think he'd learn not to touch anything shiny but...

Some just never seemed to learn.

At first glance it only appeared to have two floors. Yet when they walked down a staircase they quickly discovered that there was a wide basement like room. It looked like it might have been dark at one point but now it was lit up brightly, showing the large mat that was set up in the middle. Aje flipped over them, landing on the mat smoothly. They stared at him for a while until he grinned. "Well? Give it your best shot."

Bruce gulped. "Uh...wait...shouldn't we start with the basics?!"

"NOPE!"

Two seconds later they were on the ground.

"Again!"

()

(Three weeks later)

This was it.

Five minutes to go and then class would be dismissed. Their class was usually dismissed about a few minutes ahead of everyone else; due to the b'ivnor's second job. Those few minutes usually were enough to give them a head start over the _goons. _They wouldn't dream of taking said goons on in a fight yet, they weren't nearly ready. So they'd stick to running. Except this time, they had to high-tail it all the way to Aje's, who lived on the other side of the city.

It was enough to make Xish'ilh weep. Glanced over towards Bruce, and was puzzled. His friend wasn't looking at the clock like usual. No. He appeared calm and completely relaxed.

"Bruce--" The b'ivnor shot him a warning look and he tried again. _"Bruce...are you okay?"_

"_Yeah. Why?"_

He narrowed his eyes. _"What are you planning?"_

"_I want you to turn invisible."_

Xish'ilh sighed. Not this again. _"I __**told **__you--"_

"_Trust me."_

The Martian paused, considering it. The human didn't use that phrase much, but when he did...well...he usually had something planned. And his plans had a 98.9 percent chance of working. But what? They couldn't hide in the classroom. And Tib'zh and Iloyu would definitely be waiting for them outside...

So then...

The answer came to him and he pouted. _"Aje taught you something, didn't he?"_

"_Maaayyyyybe."_

A peeved look. _"Why does he like you so much better then me?"_

"_Because I'm human."_

Xish'ilh scowled. _"That is so wrong."_

"_Tell me about it."_

Was considering on doing so, until he remembered why he'd opened the link to Bruce in the first place. Should he do it? Well...if nothing else he could just _stop_ being invisible. It wasn't like he was stuck in that form once he did change...

"_Okay. Fine."_

The b'ivnor dismissed them and he spent a few seconds cramming everything into his bag as quickly as possible. "Okay Bru—" He looked up and gaped, realizing he was completely alone in the classroom. _What the—he ditched me! M'nkte! _

Growling, he rendered himself invisible and stealthily sneaked out of the room, managing to avoid having the goons notice him. Then he started towards Aje's house, stomping the entire way there. _Mjretvos Bruce! __**Trust me **__he says. Oh I'll __**trust **__him alright! _

So caught up in his thoughts he screamed like a little tyfixl when Bruce suddenly jumped out of no where and landed right next to him. "GAH!! Don't DO that!"

His friend grinned. "So?"

"You ditched me!"

That got him a blank stare. "Please tell me you're joking."

"NO! You DITCHED ME!"

Bruce sighed, shaking his head. "I didn't _ditch _you, mjretvos."

Xish'ilh blinked and he was alone again. It took a few more seconds for it to sink in and when it did he sucked in a surprised breath. "Whoa. Aje taught you _that_?"

"Yep." He reappeared and the two continued on the way to Aje's house. "If nothing else we can just dodge them until we learn enough to--"

"WHOOP SOME SERIOUS IOT'LAZ!"

A sigh. "Not what I was going to say but...yeah."

()

I'm sorry. .. I'm not happy with this chapter. Not really. So...I'm sorry if you guys think it sucks. So sorry. / Gomen ne.

MARTIAN VOCABULARY TAHM!! WOOOTTTT!!

K'nichtka-mother, mom, mama, ma'.

K'nika-kid, child

B'ivnor-teacher

Aqi-library

Yvidn'm-school

Nau'ki- festival

z'yal'ik-bitch

Iot'laz- Ass

M'nkte- dick, jerk, asshole...


	15. Memories

Mars: An Elseworlds Story

Chapter 15

(Six months later)

He was starting to forget things.

It started off pretty small. So small he hadn't really given it much though. So what if he couldn't quite remember how many months were in an Earth year? (Eight? Ten?) So what if he couldn't remember what that one holiday with the eggs was called? (His mind kept insisting it had something to do with a rabbit but that couldn't be right...unless he'd forgotten what a rabbit was too...)

But then it got bigger. He started to forget more.

For the longest time he'd thought that his favorite fruit was an apple. It had a nice citrus-y flavor but made his fingers all sticky when peeling it. Upon remembering having to wash it hands after eating it, it hit him that it wasn't an apple he was thinking of; but an orange.

Or...or was it a peach? No...peaches had those little..seeds in them...right? Or was that a plum? No. Wait. Yes. No...they...they both had seeds in the middle. Right?

Right.

_...Maybe._

* * *

"J'onn?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you remember what...what colored rain is called, on Earth?"

"...Snow?"

"Thanks."

* * *

He didn't remember what shade the sky was. Yes, it was blue, he knew that much. But what _shade_? It was the same thing with the grass. Green. Dark green? Light? Lime?

Wasn't lime a fruit?

He couldn't recall what his parents looked like. They were fading away. Didn't remember which one liked to read mysteries and which one preferred comedies. Their deaths still rang clear in his head, always fresh, always taunting him whenever he dreamed. It was one of the things he couldn't stand. He couldn't remember the _good _things, the things he _wanted _to hold on to but the bad memories clanged to him, refusing to let go.

Earth was a planet. It was a planet and it had seven continents and ...four...yes, four...sea-ri-OCEANS! Yes. Oceans.

Couldn't forget. Had to remember his home. Alfred. Gotham. _Mom. __**Dad**_.

_Africa._

He lived in a mansion.

_Asia._

His favorite fruit was a pear.

_Europe_.

* * *

Sometimes he forgot what he was.

Was he still a human? Normal humans couldn't breathe on Mars, could they?

Couldn't mind talk either.

So what was he then?

If he wasn't human...

And he wasn't Martian...

What was he?

* * *

No...that wasn't right. His favorite fruit wasn't a pear.

_North America._

A pear was...it was...his heart. His heart wasn't shaped like a heart. But like a pear.

_South America._

So a pear wasn't a fruit at all. It was a shape?

_Au...Australia._

Yes. No. No it wasn't a shape. It was a fruit. His heart was pear-_shaped_.

_An..._

What did a pear look like? It was...ugh. He couldn't remember. But it wasn't his favorite fruit. No.

_Ant...artic._

He knew this. He did. His favorite fruit was...on the tip of his tongue...

_...ka? Antarticka? Antarctica? Yeah. That was it. _

Tip of his tongue. Apples? No. _No! _He'd had this! Remember? Sticky...had to peel it and wash—ORANGES! Yes!

* * *

"What am I?" He'd ask J'onn once every few weeks.

And his answer, no matter how the question was asked or phrased, would always be the same.

"You're Bruce."

It managed to answer everything yet nothing at all.

* * *

_First ocean. Atlantic._

What color was an orange? Orange. Easy.

_Second ocean. Pacific._

What color was an apple? ...Ugh. He was starting to hate apples. Yes, those would be his least favorite fruit.

_Third ocean. _

That and bananas. He never did like those.

_Third OCEAN._

Wait, what the heck was a banana? What color was it? Was he _sure _that was his least favorite or was it a pear? No. Wait. Pear wasn't a fruit. It was a—no. No that was pear-_shaped._

_Third ocean...what is it?_

So okay. Peaches and plums had seeds in the middle. Apples were his favorites and oranges were orange and were really his favorites and pear wasn't a shape but pear-_shaped_. Like his heart. Wait...what were bananas again?

Pacific. Atlantic. Two oceans. There were four. Right? Yes. Four. Seven states and...no. No there were more than seven. F..forty? Forty...eight? ...forty-eight states and two oceans?

_That...that can't be right..._

..two...oceans...yes. That was right. He only remembered two because that's all there were.

* * *

"It's not enough." He'd insist sometimes, his temper ready to snap. "Being _Bruce _isn't enough!"

"Why not?" J'onn would ask.

And he'd have to leave the room, unable to come up with a good enough answer.

_Because _sounded a bit too childish.

* * *

_What's my parent's names?_

Names? That-that was easy. Mom was...mom was...she had...red...hair? And...smiled. At him. And Dad was...

_Gun shots. Blood. So much blood._

No. No that wasn't Dad. Dad was...

_Dead._

No. Well, yes, but that wasn't Dad. Dad was...

His name was...

_Tom..._

Wrong. Try again.

_Tom...as? Thomas!_

And mom was...

_Martha._

_Thomas and Martha Wayne._

And_ he _was Bruce _Wayne_.

* * *

"I keep forgetting things, J'onn."

"Ah."

"I'm forgetting what home feels like. Soon I won't remember it at all. Then what?"

"I don't think it's possible to forget. I think the old memories are there, they're just buried deep underneath the new ones."

"What if you're wrong?"

"What if I'm right?"

* * *

There was a brief feeling of satisfaction, until his mind started up again.

_What's a pineapple? _

It was...yellow. Like bananas. Bananas were yellow. But it had...had...it was...

Bruce let out a frustrated sigh. "This is hopeless."

Closed his eyes tighter, ignoring the worried look J'onn was throwing his way.

_Okay, focus._

Earth was a planet. It had seven _continents_ and two oceans. His favorite fruit made his fingers sticky when he peeled it. He lived in Gotham City, in a mansion with Alfred, Mom and Dad. His name was Bruce _Wayne_.

It wasn't nearly enough.

But for now it would do.

* * *

I hope it wasn't too confusing...


	16. Lhed Xojil's Wisdom

Mars: An Elseworlds Story

Chapter 16

()

**Time on Mars in Martian Years:** 2

**Time on Mars in Earth Years:** 4

**Bruce's Age: **13

()

Bruce dodged the punch aimed at his face; the knuckles just barely scraping against his cheek. He shifted his weight to his other leg and kicked Xish'ilh in the side, hard enough to bruise but soft enough to not break anything. It had been years since Aje had started teaching them to fight. No longer did they have to run from the likes of Tib'zh or Iloyu or anyone else. They could stand up for themselves, fight their own battles.

And they had. It had taken the now _ex-goons _a few months to get the hint that they weren't going to be able to push them around any longer, and when it did sink in, the found themselves..._bored. _Not to say that Tib'zh or his brother still didn't try, they did...just not as often. There were a few tournaments that took place during H'ronmeer's nau'ki but they had been too young to enter before now. A few months and they'd finally be able to compete. Which is what they were training for now.

The Martian managed to get a good hit in and he absorbed the shock of the pain, letting out a grunt. Toyed with the idea of playing with him a little more then dismissed the notion, raising his hand up for the finishing blow and sending Xish'ilh sprawling backwards on the mat with a groan. "Ow, Bruce! You m'nkte that _hurt_."

Was about to give a cutting remark when he suddenly found himself right next to his friend, staring at the ceiling and wondering how he got there.

Aje's face appeared above him and he scowled. No matter how good he got...Aje always managed to sneak up on him.

"You're getting sloppy, Bruce." Came the taunt and he quickly jumped back up, ready to go again.

()

"_I don't think Xish'ilh likes me."_ J'onn stated, looking down at the colorful game in front of them with a frown. He didn't know why Bruce insisted on playing this one; he never won. But it didn't deter the human any. Nope, it just made more determined. He _was _getting better...it was just he tended to fall into the same pattern. It only took a few turns before he knew what his friend was planning. It seemed that Bruce was aware of this and was beginning to make more strategic moves. Still couldn't win though. Heh. Of course, it was still early in the morning so they had to mind-talk in order to avoid waking Naculh and Lhed Xojil up.

He made his move, his frown changing into a grin at the scowl on his brother's face.

"Why'd you move there?!" L'helum shouted, forgetting the mind talk. "Now you made me lose a piece!"

Bruce snickered. _"That's kinda the idea."_

He growled as his piece disappeared, one of J'onn's taking it's place. _"I hate this game."_

"_Me too._"

They both looked at the human, who was staring closely at the hologram, peering at it from all angles.

L'helum's fell backwards, almost falling off the edge of the bed. "Then why are we playing?!"

Those blue eyes sharpened on him, causing him to sit back up. _"Because if I keep playing, eventually, I'll win."_

"You do realize," J'onn said in a dry tone, "that I could simply _let _you win."

It was his turn to be subject to a sharp gaze, and he quickly decided that if he wanted to live, it'd probably be in his best interest to give it his all. "Not...that...I _would_...I'm just saying..." He added hastily, relieved when the fire in those orbs died down.

Bruce finally made his move, and immediately L'helum and J'onn called foul. "You can't do that!"

A smug smile. "According to the rules, I can."

"Where?!"

His hand tapped a button on the disk-shaped platform and the picture of the board was replaced with a screen, Martian letters covering it in small bold print. He scrolled down a little and pointed. "There. See?"

A close look and they grudgingly nodded, pouting internally. Trust Bruce to read the entire rulebook front to back. The damn thing was written in _ancient _Martian. Who the hell taught him that?!

Aware that they might start shouting if he made another move (even though he _was _entitled to one more, section 16 of the rulebook, article 3...), Bruce ended his turn. _"Now, what's this about Xish'ilh?"_

J'onn blinked. He thought his little comment had gone unnoticed.

It didn't really bother him that much, he was just trying to make small talk while he thought of where to move. _"I don't think he likes me."_

L'helum snorted. "What gave you that idea? Was it the way he glares at you or how he growls whenever you get near Bruce?"

Another blink. "Neither. He just flat out told me." The more they talked about it the more it was starting to annoy him.

Bruce rolled his eyes, both at where L'helum had moved his piece and how dense J'onn could be. _"Are you TRYING to lose, L'helum?"_

The Martian made a rude gesture, one that had Bruce shaking with laughter and J'onn frowning sternly. "L'helum, if Bruce does that and he gets in trouble...k'nichtka is going to know who taught him."

A soft hum. "Mmm hmm and who do you think she's going to be mad at more? Me for teaching Bruce, or V'lmnta for teaching _me_?"

"V'lm...Lhed Xojil is going to deny it until his dying sol." Bruce said, trying hard to ignore his slip-up. It was getting harder each year to call them by their names...

L'helum waved his hand in dismissively. "Yeah, and k'nichtka is _so _going to believe him. Your turn J'onn."

His brother did a Bruc-ism, leaning close to the board. _"I don't know why he doesn't like me. I haven't done anything to him."_

Hmm...in order to continue with his plan, he was going to have to lose a piece. Except if he moved it in such an obvious spot, they were going to suspect it and then they _wouldn't _take it and then he'd be stuck for quite a while...what to do what to do...ah well. He moved it anyway.

Bruce shrugged. "So he doesn't like you. Big deal."

The scowl on J'onn's face made him look very much like his v'lmnta. "But _why _doesn't he like me?"

A blank look. _"Because you lack x'kniror goodness." _

He and L'helum cracked up, even more so as J'onn shouted, "I'm serious!"

"So am I!" Bruce gasped out between his fits of laughter.

They got control of themselves, and the only thing that stopped J'onn from pouting was that Bruce had been distracted enough to take the piece that he'd moved. "It...doesn't...bother me, really, but if we're _both _your friends...then shouldn't we get along?"

L'helum took over one of Bruce's pieces, paling when the human made the very same gesture he had not five minutes ago. "Y-you're not allowed to do that!"

The look he got was pure _evil_. "Then move your piece back."

Crap. If he did, he'd give up a very valuable spot. But if he _didn't _and he did that in front of Naculh... "What-I thought you wanted to win fairly!"

"I lied."

"You can't do that!"

"Yes I can. Watch." He cleared his throat. "L'helum you're so awesome and smart and not at all a m'nkte. See? I did it again just now."

He gawked, sputtering indignantly at Bruce, who was smirking, and at J'onn, who was chuckling. "_Evil_."

Bruce grinned. "You gonna move your piece or should I?"

For a split second he felt trapped, until the solution came to him, making him get an evil look of his own. Sure it wasn't as dangerous looking as the human's, but oh it would do. Punched another button instead, laughing loudly as the game reset itself. "Oops! Will you look at that? I accidentally hit the reset button on purpose! Clumsy me!"

His evil laugh was cut off when both J'onn and Bruce suddenly lunged at him, making him scream like a little tyfkixl. "ACK! GET OFF!"

"I was almost winning!" Bruce shouted, shaking L'helum.

J'onn paused his attack on his brother, letting out a loud snort. "Please, I had you right where I wanted you!"

"You _wanted _me to win?"

"You weren't winning!"

"Yes I was!"

It turned into a wild tumble, all three of them rolling around on the floor wildly, shoving each other and yelling out ridiculous things, their laughter growing louder and louder. Until two powerful arms reached out, grabbing Bruce and L'helum and lifting them in the air, away from J'onn, who laid on the floor panting.

Looked up and saw the twinkling eyes of his v'lmnta and was relieved to see that he was amused instead of pissed. "Anyone want to tell me what's going on?"

They all started shouting at once.

"I WAS WINNING—BRUCE WAS BEING EVIL AGAIN—DOESN'T LIKE ME—WINNING! ALMOST—**EVIL**—I _HAVE_ X'KNIROR GOODNESS—M'NKTE DECIDED TO HIT THE RESET BUTTON—DIE! I WILL _DIE_ BECAUSE OF HIS EVILNESS!—SO WHY DOESN'T ME LIKE ME?!—AND I ALMOST WON THIS TIME—IT WAS SELF DEFENSE—YOU WERE SO NOT WINNING—OH YES I WAS—AND HE LIED! HE CAN'T DO THAT—YES I CAN! WANT ME TO PROVE IT AGAIN?! OKAY! YOU'RE _SO_ HANDSOME—AND FUNNY—EVIL! SEE! AND J'ONN'S TEAMING UP WITH HIM! HE CAN'T DO THAT—YEAH HUH—NAH UH!!"

Before it could turn into a yeah-huh-nah-uh war, Lhed Xojil cleared his throat, effectively silencing all of them. He took in a deep breath, and then began disciplining them all.

"L'helum, just because you _suck _at the game, doesn't mean you can ruin it for others. Bruce, stop being evil. You'll never win against J'onn, _ever_. J'onn, you do not have x'kniror goodness. Only I do."

They took to his wisdom in different ways. L'helum glared, Bruce scowled, and J'onn pouted.

Until Bruce gave him a bright smile and stated, "Wow, Lhed Xojil! You are so right! Your wisdom knows no bounds!"

L'helum nodded. "Oh yes! And you are _so _smart--"

"And _handsome--_" J'onn added.

"_Full _of x'kniror goodness—"

"Always know what to say--"

"Hope _I _can grow up to be as awesome as you are--"

"Only it's impossible!"

Lhed Xojil narrowed his eyes at them. They were _saying _nice things, and not in a sarcastic or dead-pan tone either. Nope. Perfectly normal tone. So _why _did he get the feeling he was being insulted?

"You..." He bit his lip. What could he do? Yell at them for complementing him? There was something _wrong _about what they'd just said, he could feel it. But he just didn't know _what_. They were acting the same way Naculh did when...

The answer hit him and he dropped Bruce and L'helum, his eyes wide. "YOU'RE LYING!"

L'helum gasped. "REALLY?!"

Stared at the evil k'nikas before shouting, "NACULH!!"

She poked her head in the door, her eyes still glazed over from having just woke up. "Nnn?"

He pointed at the three of them. "Punish them!"

A blink. "Why? I know they were kind of loud but--"

"They said I was handsome and full of x'kniror goodness and wise and that they wanted to grow up to be as awesome as me!"

Another blink. "And?"

"They were _lying_."

Naculh shook her head. "I'm not going to punish them for complimenting you, just because you don't believe that they think you're a good V'lmnta." She walked away from the door, ignoring his cries of outrage.

Snickers sounded out and he whipped around, his eyes flashing. But of course they just looked so _innocent._

When really they were _evil. _

What could he do though? If he punished them Naculh would get mad and he didn't want to risk the wrath of his mate...

Ran his eyes across the room and landed on the game. Huffing, he picked it up, shaking it. "You see this? This is mine now."

Bruce just looked at him. "S'already yours. We borrowed it from _you_, remember?" J'onn nudged him in the side, shaking his head, warning him to be quiet. "What? We _did_."

Lhed Xojil felt his eye twitch as he shouted, "WELL YOU CAN'T BORROW IT ANYMORE!!"

He stormed out of the room, slamming the disk-shaped object on the table in the kitchen, glaring at his mate. "I can't believe you didn't punish them!"

She kissed his cheek. "I apologize. I guess it just slipped my mind."

Her tone sounded just like _theirs _and he whimpered. "You're lying."

"Of course I am."

A suspicious look. "Are you lying about that too?"

"Perhaps."

"ARG!!"

()

_So, J'onn's your friend?_

_No. **You're **my friend. J'onn is J'onn._

"I hate J'onn." He stated to Aje, as he landed on the mat yet again. It didn't really bother him as he wasn't even really trying that much. He hadn't really wanted to spar anyway. After all it was the middle of the night and yeah, he liked fighting but not _that _much. It's just that Aje was the only one who would be up at this hour and who wouldn't mind hearing his rants. Sometimes he even managed to give out good advice.

Not often though.

Aje sighed, dropping down into a sitting position next to him, aware that they probably wouldn't be continuing on with their session. "What'd he do this time?"

A dark scowl. "Bruce said that we'd play my new game and he ended up leaving me to go hang with J'onn and the Kryptonian instead."

"Seems like you should be mad at Bruce for that."

Xish'ilh shook his head. "No. It's _J'onn's _fault. He's just so _funny _and _smart _and _cool _and Bruce just _loves _being with HIM and not ME!"

The chuckle he got for a reply should have infuriated him at how condescending it sounded but...it generally didn't do him any good to get mad at Aje. He tended to forget how _dangerous _the tall alien could be and he'd end up doing something stupid like _pissing him off_.

"Bruce is allowed to have more than one friend."

Aje blinked when the Martian frowned. "He's not?"

"J'onn isn't Bruce's friend. _I'm _his friend. J'onn is _J'onn_. Which is _so _not fair because Bruce doesn't need J'onn! I'm just as good _if not better--_"

"Don't do that." There was a sharp tone to Aje's voice that immediately had him falling silent, staring with a bemused look on his face.

"Do what?"

"Make him choose between you and J'onn."

Xish'ilh rolled over, choosing to instead glare down at the floor. It was much safer and didn't try to give him advice that he didn't need. "You don't think he'll choose me?"

"I know he won't."

He left soon after that, walking home in a depressed state. Didn't want to think about what Aje had just said. Or that he might be right. J'onn and Bruce had a connection. What did he and Bruce have? _Friendship_.

Snuck back inside his room, glad that he'd been able to pick up the same subtlety that Aje had. Yes he could render himself invisible without Aje's teachings but...it didn't mask sounds and his k'nichtka was one _hell _of a light sleeper. Of course he was no where near as good as a certain human, who seemed to blend in with the shadows without any problems at all...

Tried to slip back under his covers, only to bump into someone who was already in his bed, only just managing to keep from shouting. _Who...?_

Poked the body with curious fingers, blinking when he felt his fingers touch long hair. _"Bruce...?"_

"_Nnn...?" _Obviously he'd fallen asleep while waiting for him. _"Wh...what are you doing in my bed?"_

Xish'ilh snickered, nudging his friend to move over. _"This is __**my **__bed. Let me have a little bit of it, will ya?."_

Bruce obeyed, but only scooted about an inch. Shaking his head, the Martian just resigned himself to having to watch how far he turned over in his sleep.

"_What are you doing here anyway?" _Not that he was complaining but...

"_Promised I'd...play the game..."_

He grew slightly warm at hearing that. _"You remembered? 'Cause you ditched me and all so I was starting to think that maybe you'd forgotten or--"_

"_Shuddup." _A soft grunt. _"Sleep now. Talk later."_

Smiling, he closed his eyes, and was asleep within seconds.

()

(Next Day)

It wasn't even _light _out when Jor had called, asking him with ridiculously huge eyes if he would _please _come by the R'tli'gak before he had to leave for Krypton. Bruce had been very tempted to tell the alien _no..._ except their halogram projector was coming in clear and...how could anyone say no to that face? He was determined to find out, and soon, as he grumbled that he was on his way, leaving the house without even getting dressed properly.

And of _course_ it had decided to rain _right _then and there, pelting his skin with hard fragments of sand, dust and ice. This only proved to further sour his mood; which got worse when he accidentally took a wrong turn. He was tugging on the door for about five minutes until his sleep-filled brain told him that he was standing in front of the Aqi, which was closed. Finally he made it to the right building and walked inside, growling when the rain stopped.

So when Jor-El had the _nerve _to ask him if he could come back later, he did something he hadn't done in years.

"OW!" The Kryptonian rubbed his bruised shin. "BRUCE! I'm sorry for waking you but we're getting ready to leave and—OW! I SAID _OW _BRUCE!" Deciding that he wasn't going to take the abuse anymore, he waited for the human to strike again, and this time he kicked back.

Bruce flinched, "OW!", before retaliating even harder, effectively stopping Jor's plans of giving as good as he got.

"You're mean." He pouted, shying away when blue eyes threatened to _kill _him.

"_**What do you want?!**_"

Jor-El cleared his throat. "I..um...okay...I just moved out of my parent's place and well I have a place of my own now so I was wondering if you, J'onn and Xish'ilh would want to come stay with me while yvidn'm is on break."

Bruce stared at him for a long moment. "Okay, one—you're just _now _moving out? How _old _are you?" He continued on, ignoring his currently EX-friend's protests. "And two—don't talk to me."

Turned around and started to leave, only to be stopped. "Wha—why?!"

The look he got quickly made Jor move his hand from Bruce's shoulder.

"It is _dark _outside. You woke me up. It _rained _on the way over here and I got LOST in said rain. All for something that could have waited until _Morning_?!"

Jor scratched his head, shooting a curious look outside. "Funny...it's not raining now..."

"YOU'RE NOT MY FRIEND ANYMORE!" A final kick and Bruce stormed out.

()

"And that's when I realized that I should have asked _you _instead." Jor-El explained calmly to J'onn, who was staring at him as if he'd lost his mind.

The Martian blinked and then said in a slow tone, as if he was speaking to an incredibly _dim _person—which he was—, "Jor...it's _night._"

"I know."

Grumpily, J'onn rolled over, pulling the covers over his head. "You're not my friend anymore either."

()


	17. The ride to Krypton!

Mars: An Elseworlds Story

Chapter 17

**Estimated Time of Arrival to Krypton: 8** hours

Xish'ilh's words are underlined

Jor-El's words are regular

Bruce's words are **bold**

And J'onn's words are _italic_.

Don't ask why it's all dialogue. Just..don't...

()

Hour One

()

"You know, when you asked me if I wanted to come along with you to Krypton...I didn't _think _we'd be leaving in the middle of the night."

"**Sorry Xish'ilh...:yawn: Jor doesn't know what sleep means.**"

"It was _light _out when I woke you guys up!"

"**Barely**."

"Oh don't e—J'onn, wake up."

"_Nnn..._"

"WAKE UP!"

"_...you woke me up!_"

"Really?!"

"_Jor, just because you don't have a brain and therefor can't possibly require sleep doesn't mean you get to ruin it for everyone else!"_

"J'onn you _can't _go to sleep!"

"_Nnnn..."_

"You can't leave me to deal with _them _on my own! WAKE UP!"

"_Kick my chair again and see what happens."_

"You're mean when you haven't gotten any sleep.."

"_And who's fault is that?!"_

"Snippy, too..."

()

Hour Two:

()

"**Jor..are we there yet?"**

"No."

"What about now?"

"No."

"**Now**?"

"No."

"...are you sure?"

"Why don't you step outside and check?"

"**Now who's being mean?**"

"Now who's being mean?"

"**I don't sound like that.**"

"Says you."

"**I don't. Xish'ilh, do I sound like that?**"

"Your voice does that little cracking thing...yeah..."

"**It does not!**"

"Says you."

"Hah! Good one Xish'ilh!"

"**Oh my--"**

"H'ronmeer! The Kryptonian's rubbing off on me! Ugh!"

"**Soon you're going to start liking **_**hvek'n**_**--**"

"Ugh! And sleep will no longer hold any meaning--"

"**And then you're intelligence will **_**drop**_**...**"

"I feel dirty."

"**You should.**"

"Don't make me wake J'onn up!"

"Sorry/**Sorry.**"

"..."

"..."

"**...**"

"**Are we there yet?**"

"No."

"How bout now?"

"NO."

"**Now?**"

"We are _so _not playing this game."

"..."

"**...**"

"..."

"**Are we **_**almost **_**there?**"

"J'ONN!"

"**Okay! Sorry!**"

"Don't be such a z'yal'ik Jor!"

"...a what?"

"Z'yal'ik. It means--"

"**Friend. It means friend.**"

"...does it really?"

"N--"

"**Yes.**"

"I don't believe you."

"**Would I lie to you?**"

"Xish'ilh, no. You? Yes, yes you would."

"**Are we almost there yet?**"

()

Hour Three:

()

"Can we stop?"

"Not for another two hours."

"**Two--!? Figures. ...I'm bored.**"

"Me too**.**"

"I don't care."

"**Are we there yet?**"

"No."

"Can we stop?"

"NO!"

"But we've been in this ship _forever_!"

"My how time flies when we're having fun."

"**If this is your idea of fun I feel sorry for you.**"

"You see what J'onn's doing? Why don't you try doing that?"

"It's called _sleeping_. And I can't. You woke me up. Can't go back to sleep now."

"**Not to mention it's too _bright _in here. I don't know how J'onn's doing it..."**

"Why _is _it so bright in here anyway?"

"So I don't fall asleep."

"**...are you serious?**"

"You like being alive?"

"**It has its moments.**"

"Right now it kind of sucks..."

"Well it's _really _going to suck if I drive us into an asteroid. So I need to stay awake."

"**Can we stop**?"

"NO. We can't stop for another two hours!"

"**Why?**"

"Because I said so!"

"There's an intelligent come back..."

"GO TO SLEEP!"

"Might want to watch the yelling. If you wake J'onn up again he's not going to be happy."

"I'm not scared of J'onn."

"**Can we **_**please **_**stop?**"

"No."

"**Didn't scream that time did you? J'onn is scary, admit it.**"

"I'm gonna scare you in a minute..."

"...can we stop now?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Beca--"

"**Can't use the same come back twice.**"

"Says who?"

"**Intelligent people.**"

"Well _I'm_--"

"Not intelligent? I agree."

"I was _going _to say--"

"Can I steer the ship?"

"What?! NO!"

"**Why not?** **Xish'ilh is good at steering things.**"

"Yeah! I'm awesome!"

"...I don't know, I am kind of tired...maybe--"

"**We were only **_**kidding, **_**Jor-El. H'ronmeer--**"

"Who would let a _k'nika _steer a ship?"

"**Certainly not an **_**intelligent **_**person.**"

"Please go to sleep."

"Not tired.**"**

"I will _pay you _to go to sleep."

"**First you want to put our lives in danger and now you try to bribe us? Monster!**"

"..."

"Is he crying?"

"**I think so.**"

"So this is what it feels like to make someone cry."

"**Huh...feels kind of nice."**

"I've felt better."

()

Hour Four:

()

"**Can we stop**?"

"Why?"

"**I need a reason?**"

"You don't have one?"

"**...not really. I never really thought that far ahead. Didn't think you'd ask **_**why**_**...**"

"Then no. We can't stop."

"**Figures you'd cheat.**"

"Oh! I have a reason! I'm hungry."

"**Now that you mention it, me too. There, reason found. Now stop.**"

"Nice try. I saw the food your k'nichtkas packed you."

"**...wait, was that supposed to last the whole trip?**"

"Yes."

"**And you didn't tell us this **_**why**_**?**"

"Because it should have been _obvious!_"

"Well we didn't think you'd plan on keeping us locked up for the entire trip."

"Well I didn't think you guys would be _awake _either. Looks like we've both got our hopes crushed."

"**You sound bitter.**"

"He does doesn't he? Probably because we made him cry..."

"You didn't make me cry."

"**Says yo—oooo. So close. Gotta watch that.**"

"It's like he's contagious."

"**Like a curse. The curse of Jor-El.**"

"First symptom: You start to think 'says you' is an intelligent come back."

"**Second symptom: You start to have the urge to put k'nika's lives in danger.**"

"Third symptom: You --"

"And you wanted me to stop?"

"**...I apologize.**"

"Sorry."

"Do you really mean it?"

"You planning on stopping?"

"Not for another hour."

"**Then no.**"

"Same here. THIRD SYMPTOM--"

"Then I guess I'm not stopping."

"Evil."

"Says you."

"**...do you **_**really **_**want to go there again?**"

"Sorry."

()

Hour Five:

()

"Okay! We're here!"

"**Wow. Krypton looks like a **_**dump**_**...**"

"Beautiful my--"

"Does this place look _anything _like the pictures I gave you?"

"Oh. Um...maybe?"

"You didn't look at them?!"

"**Of course we did.**"

"What color is the sky?"

"**...hvek'n?**"

"Lucky guess."

"**You have no idea.**"

"You didn't _look at them?!_"

"**I answered your question. You have no yelling rights.**"

"But you said you wanted to keep them!"

"Oh...about that..."

"You _lost _the pictures I gave you?!"

"You know, I'm not sure I like your tone."

"**Krypton suits you.**"

"This isn't Krypton!"

"You don't have to be ashamed...well...okay, actually, you _should_ be, because after all the rants you went on about how _awesome _it was--"

"**This is a big let down.**"

"Th—you--ju--THIS ISN'T KRYPTON!"

"**Whatever helps you sleep at night, Jor.**"

"IT ISN'T! THE PICTURES! THE PICTURES TELL ALL!"

"Well we haven't _looked _at the pictures so we wouldn't know, now would we?"

"You—YOU--you _lost the pictures I gave you?!_"

"**You know, normally I would make a crack about you repeating yourself...**"

"But given where you live...it's kind of understandable, really."

"I'M GOING TO GET MORE FUEL!"

"**Oh! And food! Don't forget food!**"

"Though I'm not sure if I'd trust Kryptonian food..."

"Kryptonian food is wonderful!"

"So this _is _Krypton! I knew it!"

"This isn't Krypton! It doesn't look anything _like _Krypton! How many times do I have to say it before it sinks in?! This _isn't _Krypton!"

"**Okay, okay, Jor. We get it. This isn't Krypton. No need to shout.**"

"I'm.Going.To.Get.More.Fuel.You.Will._Sit._Here.And.Not.Do._Anything._Am.I.CLEAR?!"

"Again with the shouting. Yes, go. And don't forget to bring back something to eat."

"**...**"

"..."

"**You know, I was kind of hoping we could make him cry again.**"

"Well...we made him change colors...that's something, isn't it?"

"**Not really. That's an easy thing to do. **_**J'onn **_**can do that. But crying...that's something else entirely.**"

"Wow. You really _are _evil..."

"**How much do you wanna bet that this place looks better than Krypton?**"

()

Hour Six:

()

"**You know, this is actually pretty good."**

"Who knew Krypton had it in her?"

"Shocking."

"...awww...he's grown immune to the Krypton joke."

"**We'll just have to find other ways to make him cry.**"

"You didn't make me cry!"

"**Not last time, no. But the time **_**before **_**that--**"

"We had you _sobbing_...admit it, we broke you."

"You did not!"

"**Shouldn't feel this good, knowing we broke him...**"

"But it does, doesn't it?"

"**Frighteningly so...**"

"You didn't break me!"

"**Yes, yes we did.**"

"You did NOT!"

"What did we say about using the same thing twice?"

"**He's not intelligent, remember? The same rules don't apply.**"

"Oh, right, right. Sorry Jor-El. Forgot about your exemption. Carry on."

"...GO TO SLEEP!"

"**Honestly it's like you **_**ask **_**for it sometimes...are you going to offer to bribe us again?**"

"Seriously, are you even _trying_?"

"Go to sleep or _so help me--_"

"We keep _trying _to help you but you just won't listen!"

"Don't make me turn this ship around!"

"**Well we've already seen Krypton, so really what's the point of going any further?**"

"THAT WASN'T KRYPTON!"

"Oh! He's no longer immune to it!"

"**Maybe we'll get head-banging this time when he breaks!**"

"FOR THE LAST TIME YOU DIDN'T BREAK ME!!"

"_Jor, stop denying it."_

"**J'onn! You're awake!**"

"..."

"They didn't!"

"_Perhaps, perhaps not. But you're only giving them what they want by getting upset over it."_

"Hey! No giving out advice to the enemy!"

"**Traitor!**"

"_I'm no traitor, Bruce. You're just being cruel."_

"**Well can you blame us? There's nothing else to do!**"

"Yeah. We've already seen Krypton. Place was a dump."

"_Really? Why didn't you wake me up?"_

"THAT WASN'T KRYPTON! IT-...it didn't look a _thing _like the pictures."

"_...pictures?"_

"You didn't look at them?!"

"_...I did._"

"What color is the sky?"

"_...bright...it's...bright..."_

"Bright what? Bruce, I can see you mouthing it to him. Stop."

"**It's not his fault he slept through it.**"

"Though, really, it's kind of best that he did. At least _his _expectations weren't crushed..."

"THAT WASN'T...that wasn't Krypton. So stop."

"_...bright...bright...you know what? I made them stop breaking you. You don't get to question me."_

"Fair enough."

()

Hour Seven

()

"_Can we stop?"_

"Not you too!"

"_What? It's just a question."_

"Why do you want to stop? And before you ask, _yes _you do need a reason."

"_Calm down, Jor. I'm just hungry."_

"Bruce! Xish'lh! Did you guys eat all the food _again_?!"

"**No.**"

"Yes."

"**You know, you really should learn how to lie.**"

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU GUYS! WE JUST _STOPPED _FOR FOOD!"

"I'm no coward."

"NOW WE GOTTA STOP AGAIN AND THIS IS GONNA PUT US BEHIND SCHEDULE!"

"**Well now he's yelling at us again. I hope you're happy.**"

"YOU GUYS OWE ME SO MUCH MONEY RIGHT NO--"

"_Jor-El, calm down. I found some food."_

"No! Don't eat that! That's our sculpture!"

"**You'll ruin it!**"

"_Sculpture?"_

"**Yeah. See that's C'eridyall, towering over H'ronmeer...**"

"And Lord L'Zoril is smirking at him. And there's the little Martians running for cover, because everyone knows that once C'eridyall gets angry, no one is safe."

"_Oh, I see. I like their little expressions."_

"**Those were hard to do. We had to--**"

"YOU GUYS _HAD _FOOD ALL THIS TIME?!"

"Well, no. We ate most of it. But then we grew bored. We'd just made you cry so we decided to give you a break."

"**You should be thanking us, really.**"

"Oh yes. THANK YOU for letting me spend almost _all _my money getting you food which you didn't NEED! Do you have _any _idea how expensive food is there?!"

"**How should we know? Krypton is **_**your **_**planet. Not ours.**"

"..."

"Oh, hey look! I think he's crying again!"

"**And twitching. Do I see twitching? I think I do.**"

"_Definetly twi...wait, what do you mean **again**?"_

"**You really should have seen him earlier. We had him **_**sobbing**_**...**"

"His tears seem to bring us so much joy..."

**"Does that make us evil?"**

"_Extremely."_

"**I'm okay with that."**

()

Hour Eight:

()

"_Jor, how much longer until we're the—OW! Wh...you kicked me!"_

"That's a brilliant observation. Come up with that all on your own?"

"_You're acting just like Bru--"_

"DON'T EVEN GO THERE!"

"_Why'd you kick me?! I just asked a simple question!"_

"You've been asleep all this time. So let me make this perfectly clear. I have suffered through _are we there yets, how bout nows, can we stops, _cracks about my intelligence, about Krypton, about _breaking me_. So I am being completely serious when I say that I will _kill you _if you even think about adding to it."

"_...it was just a simple question..."_

"**You've really snapped, haven't you?"**

"So who was it that finally tipped you over the edge? Me or Bruce?"

"**Me, naturally. It was my words that made him cry."**

"I had a hand in it!"

"**Perhaps, but you didn't make him cry. I did. Twice."**

"You shouldn't take that much pride in it."

"**You're just saying that because you know I'm right."**

"No, I'm saying that because it's kind of creepy. And you're wrong. You didn't cause him to snap, I did."

"**Well let's just ask him, shall we? Jor-El who do you want to kill more? Me or--"**

"You think I won't kill?! Is that it?! I'LL DO IT! I swear to _Rao _I'll do it!"

"_Bruce, I don't think now's a good time..."_

"**It's going to bug me until I find out."**

"I will! I've been giving it a lot of thought! I know how I'm going to do it, what weapon I'm going to use, what I'm going to do with the remains--"

"**You still haven't answered my question."**

"YOU. I want to kill YOU. I want to kill _you_. I want to kill you so bad that I'm currently looking around for an asteroid field to drive into! _Sure _the explosion will kill _me _also and I'll have to explain to Namid when she comes to the afterlife to bring me back just so she can kill me again about _why _you needed to _die _but it'll be worth it. Oh yes. WORTH IT. I will LAUGH as we go up in flames! You hear me?! LAUGH! OR MAYBE! MAYBE THAT'S NOW HOW I'LL DO IT AT ALL! _MAYBE--"_

"**Wait, I'm sorry...who are you talking to? Me? Or Xish'ilh? I need you to be clear on that one. Because I think Xish'ilh believes it's him. He's looking kind of pale..."**

"I-I don't want it to be me!"

"**Well you can't help it if you're the one who Jor-El choos—Jor, what are you doing? Sit back down! You need to steer the ship!"**

"NO! I NEED TO KILL YOU!"

"**So I **_**am **_**the winner..."**

"Yay..."

"LET ME GIVE YOU YOUR PRIZE!"

"**On second thought, Xish'ilh, you win."**

"Oh no! He chose you!"

"**He never really **_**said **_**my name--"**

"BRUCE! YOU MUST DIE!"

"Hah! Winner! See?!"

"_ENOUGH! Jor-El! You go back to steering the ship, NOW!"_

"...fine. Ruin my fun."

"_Bruce, you will stop this right now. You've been incredibly cruel to Jor-El when he's bringing you to his planet, to stay with him, free of charge. You owe him an apology."_

"**...you're right. Jor-El I apologize."**

"...that's it?"

"**What do you mean _that's it?_"**

"You put me through SIX hours of hell and all you have to say is _sorry_?!"

"**Well what more do you want?"**

"I WANT YOU TO DIE!!"

"**I...I'm sorry. I know I've put you through a lot these last few hours...and I...I just..."**

"Wait...what are you doing..."

"Way to go Jor-El! You made him cry!"

"_Jor, how could you? He's just a k'nika!"_

"But...I...don't do that! Don't cry! I'm sorry!"

"**You...you really forgive me?"**

"Of course! You were just having a little bit of fu...you smiled!"

"**No I didn't."**

"Those are fake tears! I almost fell for that!"

"**Almost? You **_**did**_**. I **_**had **_**you."**

"EVIL! You are _evil_! I thought you were serious!"

"There you go thinking again."

"**It's like you purposely set yourself up--" **

"WHERE'S THE NEAREST ASTEROID!? Every time I come this way there's like _ten _in my path but when I _need _one--"

"_Enough! No more talking!"_

"You're not the boss of us! We can talk if we want, isn't that right Bruce?"

"**..."**

"_You're awfully **quiet**__Bruce. Don't you **agree **with Xish'ilh?"_

"**..."**

"_See? Bruce agrees with me. Now quiet."_

"Fine..."

"J'onn...?"

"_What did I say about talking?!"_

"I love you. You are my hero. I will do _anything _you ask for the next t--"

"**No **_**wonder **_**you have so much trouble in bed..."**

"He does? Really?"

"**Nimda keeps buying him--"**

"J'ONN!"

"_Bruce!"_

"**Sorry!"**

()

XD Something to help me out of my writer's block. I think it's the new medicine I'm on...but this helped me out a lot. Again, dun ask why it's all dialogue. That's how the chapter came to meh, so that's how I wrote it. XD Hope no one seemed _too _ooc. You stay in the same cramped space with someone four eight hours or so and see how well you get to liking eachother. Especially when two are evil little things and the only one who can control them is _asleep_. XD bwahahaah, poor Jor-El...


	18. House of El

Mars: An Elseworlds Story

Chapter 18

()

**A/N:** I searched for DAYS on Kryptonese, trying to find some type of translator or dictionary. Nothing. I came up with NOTHING. So I struggled with what to do. I mean, I can make up a few Martian terms but Kryptonese is another thing altogether. Finally my beta, WittySarcasm suggested that I use elf. Found a translator that works, and bam, there ya go. So to clarify, I KNOW that it's not Kryptonese. It's not anything LIKE Kryptonese. My pulled-outta-my-ass explanation for the change?

It's ten thousand years in the past. The language erm...evolved into the modern Kryptonese. Languages do that ya know. Don't believe me? Try listening to a recording of old english. Betcha can't understand a single word. Unless yer...you know...YOU...YOU don't count. You know who you are... My story so NYAAAH!! :flails:

()

"DON'T BE SUCH A _Z'YAL'IK _JOR-EL_!" _Bruce shouted as the ship sped away, scowling when his friend snickered at him.

Xish'ilh was _so _not helping matters. At all. It was Xish'ilh's fault that they were _stranded _on the outskirts of Kryptonopolis in the first place! Well, okay maybe Bruce had played a _tiny _part in it but only a _tiny _one!

"I don't think calling him 'friend' is going to help," the young Martian chortled in between his laughter, still finding the situation utterly amusing. Funny. Great.

Bruce shoved his luggage, which had also been thrown down, off of him, groaning at how _wrong _things went so _early _in the roadtrip... "This is _your _fault," He told Xish'ilh, "you're the one who _laughed _at his _face._" Which was much _much _worse than what _he'd _done.

His friend snorted. "Right, uh huh. And _who _was the one who insulted his _society_?"

Okay...maybe not _much _worse...

The human fell back, sighing. He hadn't _meant _to insult Krypton...at least not _that _time. It had just _came _out.

They had finally reached Krypton and Jor-El had hovered over the city, lowering the ship so they could better see the sites. Bruce and Xish'ilh were bored out of their minds, but J'onn actually found it _fascinating _and was asking questions. Which meant they _kept _hovering. In his excitement, Jor lowered the ship even more, and while they may not know the laws on Krypton they _did _know the ones on Ma'aleca'andra...

"Hovering over land like this is illegal, isn't it?" Xish'ilh had dared to ask, knowing it might infuriate Jor but...so what? "Aren't you going to get fined?"

Jor had snorted. "I'm an El. They'll let it pass."

At hearing those words, something seemed to come over Bruce. It was all _Jor's _fault. He'd been the one to...speak. All he knew was that at hearing those words, he started to grow _angry _for some reason and for an instant he'd been able to feel the Monster's presence as he coolly stated, "So your society is one where the wealthy are above the law? It must be _nice _being able to do whatever you want without any regards for the consequences."

Annnnnd then the moment had _passed _and he was left gaping like a fish, along with J'onn, as he watched the colors change on Jor's face.

Pure silence. No one had _dared _to move or speak. Bruce and Xish'ilh had played on Jor's last nerve. Just moments ago he had been trying to _kill _Bruce, until J'onn had demanded _silence. _He'd been sooo close to snapping and now...

So everyone had gone quiet, and the colors were actually starting to _fade _as Jor mentally counted to infinity.

Until Xish'ilh hadn't been able to take it anymore and had busted out laughing. "Ahaha-- the _look _on your face—ahahah-- your _face--_"

His mirth had _died _when Jor snarled, pushed open a button and _shoved _him and Bruce out of the ship. "GET OFF! NOW!"

So here they were, sitting on the outskirts, stranded. Didn't speak a _lick _of Kryptonian. No, they hadn't seen the _need _to learn any. Jor was to be guiding them. That's what _Jor _was for. Except he had _abandoned _them. They sat there for a few minutes, hoping that maybe Jor was _kidding _and he'd come back but...

No such luck.

Well _crap. _What _now_?

()

"You _have _to go back to for Bruce!" J'onn personally didn't _care _about Xish'ilh. He didn't like the younger Martian with his growls and glares...and he _especially _didn't like how Xish'ilh didn't _like _him but Bruce...he _liked _Bruce. And Bruce liked him! A perfect friendship! Not to mention, if Naculh _ever _found out about this...which she most definitely would because a certain human was _evil_...then he would _die_.

And nevermind when Lhed Xojil and L'helum found out...

They were _very_ protective when it came to him...even more so after the time that Bruce wouldn't talk...

He could hear his k'nichtka now..._You __**left **__him?! How could you __**leave **__him?!_

And L'helum... _HOW COULD YOU LEAVE BRUCE?! _

But V'lmnta...he would be the _worst_. He would look him straight in the eye, shake his head and say, _I'm so disappointed, J'onn._

Nononononononononononoooo had to go back. _Had _to.

Jor snorted. "I don't _have _to do anything. I'm an El._" _A part of him weakly stated that such talk was _not _disproving Bruce's point but he scared that part into submission. So _what _if he got away with a few things? His family had done more than enough for Krypton to earn it! And it wasn't like Jor went around _abusing _the privilege...much...

He scowled. Stupid Bruce putting thoughts in his head...thoughts he didn't _need_...no he was doing just _fine _without thinking, _thank you very much _and--

A slight frown. _Did I just...admit that I don't think?... _Jor groaned as he rested his head on the wheel, whimpering slightly. _I just abandoned two kids in a strange city...Nimda's going to __**kill **__me..._

"Okay," He whispered, "we'll go back...and get them." His eyes opened slightly as he registered something. "Are you...trying to strangle me?"

J'onn sheepishly removed his hands from his friend's neck, coughing. "...no."

()

They stared down at the spot, eyes wide with horror.

No...

Jor had _left _Bruce and Xish'ilh right by _that _bench. He was _positive. _

So...

_Where the hell where they?!_

Looked over and gulped at seeing the murderous look on J'onn's face. "N-Now J'onn...d-don't do anything ra--"

"I'm calling Nimda."

"NO!" He pulled the hrivt'ek away from the Martian, shaking with fear. "You can't _do _that to me!" If Nimda found out...

Jor shuddered, even more so when J'onn _growled _at him. "FIND them. NOW."

"I-I will! Honest! Just..." Another shudder. "D-don't call Nimda..."

Started up the ship again, swallowing nervously. Okay...think...if he was an evil psychopathic _demon _having just been _dumped _on a strange planet and didn't speak the language, where would he go? Where...where...he shot J'onn a hopeful look. "Can you reach them t--"

"They are..ignoring me."

"Of course they are," He groaned, banging his head into the wheel. Bruce and Xish'ilh _knew _that Jor was looking for them. And as payback, they weren't going to reveal any clues about their location.

()

"You know...I think I remember Jor mentioning something about this," Bruce stated casually, leaning back to avoid the beams being shot at them. They were sitting on a rooftop of a tall building, having climbed up it to avoid the Kryptonians that had chased after them.

"What about Kryptonians going _crazy _and trying to KILL us?!" Xish'ilh shouted, not taking this nearly as well as his human companion. As far as _he _was concerned...worse.Roadtrip.EVER. Luckily he could change his density, so the beams just went straight through him but they could _hit _and _hurt _Bruce.

"No. About them being touchy about mind probing.." One beam came really close and Xish'ilh growled down at the stupid people. "STOP SHOOTING AT US!"

Bruce snickered, shaking his head. "I don't think they understand Martian." Just like they didn't understand Kryptonese. He'd _tried _to learn it, via mind-reading but apparently Kryptonians were really touchy about such matters...

Hence the whole...shooting thing. Ugh. Didn't those weapons ever run _out? _

"J'onn's...'calling' again," He spoke up, chewing at his lip nervously, "Should I...answer?"

Xish'ilh groaned. "Yeah and how do you think he'll respond to..._this_?"

A wince as he thought about it. J'onn would be _mad_. Less than an hour and they were already fugitives. No, it was best to continue to ignore the Martian...for now.

A beam came _really _close to hitting him and he just managed to duck in time. Went to make a rude hand gesture when suddenly a hand **grabbed** the back of his neck. His eyes narrowed briefly before widening as he took in the armored man. The dark costume, the cape...the mask...the stormy eyes... "What _are _you?" He breathed, eyes wide with awe. A nudge in the ribs brought him back down to reality. Whatever..._it _was...it wasn't really friendly, gripping his neck and growling in his face like that. Scowled before kicking out and successfully managing to free himself. The people below were no longer shooting at them, meant that this..._guy_...was on their side.

Crap.

"Ai eis Nightwing. O eisi caesaerdia ialaes eisaer thys eiraestol tol tylyr ol si vydelai os Kryptonopolis." (I am Nightwing. You are hereby under arrest for attempting mind control on the populace of Kryptonpolis.)

Xish'ilh and he shared a puzzled look. What? The Martian cleared his throat nervously before saying, "Ah...no thanks. We're good."

Masked-guy made a swipe at them and they dodged with ease; long used to such treatment from Aje and bullies...and ticked k'nichtkas...

"Mesaelaes byrn os aeli!" (Surrender now or else!)

A punch landed and Bruce growled, delivering one of his own. Though...it really wasn't as strong...evident when the man didn't stumble back like he had. "M'nkte!"

The man lowered his arms, tilting his head. "Shar?" (What?)

Xish'ilh blinked. "What?"

"O pyl's ialaesal ei shys os shar ai't mal pai o?" (You don't understand a word of what I'm saying do you?)

Another puzzled look, which had the man sighing, "Let me guess; you're friends of Jor-El?" Eh. His Martian was very..._crude_. Entirely casual with a _very _strong accent.

Bruce winced at the garbled words, taking in the man who looked very familiar... "And I'm guessing you're his brother?" The facial structure, hair and eyes were very similar. He turned to his friend in a curious manner, saying in an overly loud voice, "What was his name again Xish'ilh? I THINK IT WAS--"

A hand covered his mouth, eyes glancing at the spectators uneasily. "Shh...my identity's a secret!" Confirming that he was, in fact, Zim-El. Jor had _said _he had some weird hobbies...but _this_?

Xish'ilh snorted, "Definitely his brother."

Zim groaned, running a gloved hand through his hair. "Alright. I guess that means this is all a misunderstanding and you _weren't _trying to brainwash anyone?" At seeing their amused expressions he shook his head. "Never mind...come on follow me, I'll take you to our house."

Followed him down the building, hiding behind him as the crowd of people surged forward, their faces angry. A few words from Zim had everyone placated, some smiling, others rolling their eyes. A few spatted something Bruce was _sure _was a bad word, judging from how Zim stiffened... the El turned towards them, eyes stern. "Aje trained you. Can you keep up?"

The two shared a smirk, bouncing on their feet energetically. This sounded like _fun_... "Why don't you try and find out?"

Rolled his eyes before taking off, his vision blurring as he turned corner after corner, over buildings and under construction areas. Faster and faster until everything was so _quiet_ and if it weren't for his training he probably would have crashed into something by now. He loved running...it was almost like flying...Jor said that when he visited Ma'aleca'andra for long periods of time he could sometimes _hover_. It probably had something to do with the yellow sun that the red planet circled around and he longed to go and visit, so he could know what that felt like...

But he was the _youngest _and so it wasn't _safe_. It was definitely a good thing that they had no idea of his...'hobby'...realized he was finally there and stopped, not even breaking a sweat. Silence. Guess that meant they--

_WHAM!!_

Two forms slammed into him, causing him to go flying forth into the wall so hard, if it weren't for his suit he'd be _dead_. As it was he was just very, _very _sore. And pissed.

"ARE YOU INSANE?!" Zim shouted as he painfully pulled himself from the wall, making the _idiots _slump to the ground. Xish'ilh immediately started laughing, holding his sides as he gasped for air, while Bruce glared up at the Kryptonian, rubbing his jaw tenderly. "What part of _move _do you not understand?!"

His eyes narrowed. "You didn't say anything."

The Martian chortled, "S-see?! Told you Bruce! Nothing's THERE!" Watched as the two fell silent for about a minute, not saying anything. But at the same time, their shoulders were shaking...so they _had_...wait. Zim scowled. Mind-talking. That's what they were doing.

It was true. Kryptonians, while more advanced than most, were really behind when it came to telepathy. The very most they could hear was a faint static sound and never _mind _reciprocating_._ It just...wasn't possible for them. Only very gifted Kryptonians could do it, hence why they were so susceptible to mind control and very touchy about mind probing.

Hated how they _laughed _at him. Stupid Martians. He gave 'Bruce' a closer look, frowning slightly. "If you want to pass for an acceptable Kryptonian, you should make your form less scrawny." He was all legs and arms. Looked very awkward... "And your outfit is dated." By several years...when was the last time he looked at their fashion?

Blue eyes _flashed _and Zim took a half step back before realizing what he was doing and crossed his arms defensively. He wasn't going to let that _Martian _intimidate him.

Xish'ilh snickered, giving Bruce a poke. "Yeah, Bruce. Scrawny. You should be more awesome. Like me."

"Sh'k ail'e'k h'as'ar, Xish'ilh. H'AS'AR."

Zim chewed his lip thoughtfully. His Martian was a bit rusty...and he could tell from their winces that he had one hell of an accent...The two aliens started making faces at one another and he rubbed the back of his neck, puzzled at their immature behavior. "And...Aje agreed to train you?" He'd recognized Aje's style when Bruce had kicked at him. Not to mention how they were able to keep up...but Aje only trained people who _impressed _him. How did these..._Martians _do that?

Bruce shrugged, "Yeah. He was curious about me being human, so he--"

"HUMAN?!"

There was no...way... "How can a _human _mind-talk?!" He spat, jealousy swirling in his stomach. Kryptonians were _centuries _a head of humans and they couldn't even hear. But this..._human _was able to? Impossible.

Pressed a button on his bracelet, thus making the outfit change into regular clothing, all the while glaring heatedly at Bruce. Zim's glare was met head on, matching in intensity and the Kryptonian broke away first, hating the human even more for that. Opened the door for Xish'ilh but when _it _tried to enter, gave _it _a harsh shove on the chest, pushing it back outside. "_Humans _aren't allowed in the House of El," He sneered before slamming the door shut.

()

Bruce glared at the door, his fists clenched so tight he could feel blood spilling out, from where his fingernails dug into his skin. Kicked the door harshly before sinking down besides it, his anger slowly leaving him. _Humans aren't allowed in the house of El. _

Zim had liked him just fine before he learned of his humanity.

It was so tempting to just break in but apparently the El's were royalty and he really didn't want to get thrown in prison or whatever on his first day for trespassing. So he was stuck, sitting outside...like some type of _pet_. He wasn't surprised Xish'ilh hadn't joined him. The Martian was his friend but he could be rather...selfish at times.

Now was one of those times.

Curled in on himself, hugging his knees tightly. It never failed. People liked him, until they discovered he was human. Then their smiles would turn mocking, their words hurtful and he'd grow just a little more reluctant to open up to others. Years had passed but Xish'ilh and Jor were still his only friends. J'onn didn't count. J'onn was..._J'onn_. Brilliant. Smart. Funny. Kind. Always there...L'hed Xojil and Naculh..they were family, as was L'helum.

No one else...was able to accept him.

"_Bruce? Bruce where ARE you?! Found your luggage in the streets...are you okay?! Stop ignoring me! Answer me now or so help me--"_

Oh. He'd almost forgotten about J'onn and Jor-El looking for them...

"_**I'm at The House of El. Zim found us."**_

_Oh..._

Bruce glared at the ground in front of him, silently cursing himself for ever agreeing to come. _**"Jor didn't tell his family about me did he? About my being human?"**_

"_Hold on...he says no, but he did not think it would be a problem. Why?"_

He cleared his throat, forcing the lump down. _**"How long...are we stuck here?"**_

"_A month..why...Bruce...what's wrong?"_

A month. A whole MONTH...of this. How many other Kryptonians were like Zim? Probably the majority...Bruce felt his stomach drop, shutting his eyes tightly. _**"Zim...won't let me inside."**_

"_WHAT?"_

The anger in J'onn's voice had him smiling softly. Always there... _**"Humans aren't allowed in the House of El."**_

There was a brief pause._"...Well Jor is...angry. Very angry...swearing...annnd now we are running...hold on, we'll be arriving momentarily."_

Sure enough, it seemed like only seconds passed before Jor was storming up to the house. Grinned at seeing Bruce and gave a cheery, "Hi, Bruce! Glad you're alright!" Before kicking the door in loudly and roaring out, "ZIM! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

()

Zim-El raised an eyebrow at seeing his big brother enter the dinning room, and upon seeing his expression, sighed, placing his snack down. Obviously Jor'd heard about what he'd done to _it_. Speaking of which...why was it inside?! And it had the _nerve _to glare at him?! With those ugly eyes...

((You let it _in_?))

((Bruce isn't an it! I can't BELIEVE you did that! What's WRONG with you?!))

He frowned. What was wrong him _him_? He wasn't the one hanging around _humans_. Ugly, scrawny, _mind-talking_ humans. ((Me? What's wrong with _you_?! It's HUMAN!!))

Jor glared at him and he rolled his eyes. His older brother had always blind. Liked to see good in everyone, thinking that they could all get along...such a naïve belief, really. But he didn't want to be lectured for hours on end, so he sighed, ((Fine. I apologize.))

((It's not me you should be apologizing to!))

Glanced at _it _and wrinkled his nose in disgust. ((I doubt it'll understand what I mean.))

((He's NOT an it! Bruce is...Bruce!))

His head jerked up at hearing his Ieiu's voice and he smirked at Jor. ((I wonder what _Mother _will say.))

()

A woman had appeared. She had straight, short red-hair and cold, serious eyes. Her figure reeked of royalty and even though her face was stern, it softened as her children came into view. Bruce at first relaxed, thinking maybe Zim was alone in his prejudice. But then that _m'nkte _said, in Martian as he obviously wanted him to hear, "Jor let a _human _in the house."

His stomach dropped further when those eyes looked at him with such disgust, like he was some type of _disease_...

Moved towards them cautiously as if he'd _attack _at any sudden movement, stopping when she was but a few feet from J'onn and saying in formal Martian, "Greetings. I am Ejan of the house of El. I am...uncertain what my son has told you but...we were not expecting you to bring your...I'm sorry, what is it?"

Bruce, unable to take anymore growled,_ "Bruce_, it's name is _Bruce_." He couldn't stand how they were treating him. Like he was some type of...thing.

Those eyes sharpened on him as she sneered, "Well that's not what I _asked _now is it? I asked what, not who," before turning back to J'onn and tsking at him, "It's very poorly trained. Perhaps you should get a new one." J'onn's lips thinned and he literally had to bite his tongue to keep from telling Ejan what she could do with that suggestion. Her Martian wasn't as crude as Zim's but the tone it was spoken in was very...arrogant. "I would not trade Bruce for all the stars," He said instead, smiling down at his companion as he did so.

Bruce fought to stay mad but how could he with J'onn _smiling _at him? It wasn't possible. _"And L'hed Xojil says you lack x'kniror goodness..."_

His friend's support had him relaxing. J'onn wasn't like Xish'ilh. J'onn was..._J'onn_. Still, he hated this. Hated that Jor hadn't _told _his family anything. That he'd agreed to come to Krypton thinking it would be a nice change. "Where's my room?" He asked quietly, feeling more tired than he had in a long time. Yes, Kryptonopolis was a beautiful city, but it seemed the beauty was only skin deep and he really wanted to sleep this day away right now.

Jor shot him a pleading look, "Don't you want to stay for dinner? Try some Kryptonese food?"

"Can it's stomach _handle _our food?"

Sighed in understanding, picking up the luggage. "I'll bring you some up," The Kryptonian promised as he led the way to _his _part of the house. It was on a completely different floor and everything! Finally he'd gotten a place of his own...it had take a lot of begging, bartering, screaming and making loud sex noises with Namida for them to give in a year earlier than promised, but it had been _worth _it. He used to share a wing with Zim but his little brother had his _Nightwing _thing and made a _lot _of noise when he was working...

Not to mention it was a lot easier to bring guests over.

Speaking of which...

Glanced out of the corner of his eye at Bruce, his guilt increasing when he saw how closed off the human was acting. Jor really didn't think to tell his family about the whole humanity part. In all honesty he forgot all about it. Whenever he saw Bruce...that's what he saw. Bruce. Not a _human _or a mind-talker...

Just Bruce.

And Zim...ugh. That just made him so _angry. _How could his brother be so cruel? Not letting Bruce inside?! It was enough to make him want to go back down and start a shouting match but his Ieiu was home and she apparently felt the same...

Opened up the guest room to show that Xish'ilh was playing his game-disk, a bored look on his face. Which changed immediately at seeing his friend. "There you are!"

Bruce ignored Xish'ilh, falling over onto the bed face down. "I'm going to bed."

"...You sure you don't want to...change?" Jor asked softly as he placed the luggage down.

Contemplated ignoring the suggestion for a few seconds before deciding that he probably would be more comfortable in his pajamas and started changing, his movements jerky. His fingers kept slipping as he tried to undo the laces on his top, and his anger grew as he kept _failing _to undo them. Stupid _kryptonian _clothing. Started pulling at them when a green hand stilled his actions. Looked up into J'onn's eyes and felt his shoulders slump.

"_I can't...s..hate...these things." _Couldn't speak out loud, because if he did then his voice would do that annoying cracking thing that it did whenever he was upset...

Didn't try to resist when J'onn patiently undid the laces for him, just shrugged off the shirt. Years ago he had been embarrassed to change in front of J'onn but it seemed Martians didn't have the same reservations about nudity that humans did and after a while the attitude rubbed off.

But it seemed Kryptonians _did _have the same reservations, evident when Jor flushed and shouted, "Yo—YOU CAN'T DO THAT!"

"Do what?" Bruce asked as he slipped out of his bottoms and began digging for his pajamas.

Jor sputtered as he caught a full view of the human's bare ass and quickly stepped in the room, shutting the door behind him. Didn't he have any _modesty_?

"Is that a human thing?" He asked weakly as he leaned against the door. Realized his mistake as soon as Bruce straightened up, his gaze cold. "No. It's a Martian thing." Gathered up his clothes and marched over towards the wash room sneering, "But since my _humanity _seems to be such a problem I'll just change in here."

The door slammed shut and he groaned. He hadn't _meant _it that way, really...

Everything had gone so wrong... "If you want I'll bring you guys home tomorrow," Jor offered weakly.

J'onn shook his head. "Bruce will not agree to such a proposal so talking about it is...meaningless. I wish...to rest as well." Followed the Kryptonian out before pausing to glare nastily at Xish'ilh, who shrunk back at seeing the _anger _there.

"_You should have waited for him."_

He scowled, turning over to face the wall. What did _J'onn _know? So he hadn't wanted to wait outside with Bruce. Big deal. Xish'ilh didn't see why he had to. _He'd _been allowed inside. It wasn't his fault Bruce hadn't been included, so why should he have suffered as if it were? Besides, his friend didn't seem to be angry with him for it. So what was J'onn's _problem_? The human had been just _fine _out there by him...himself...

Oh.

The door opened and Xish'ilh watched silently as Bruce climbed into bed.

Why?

Why wasn't Bruce _angry _with him? Didn't he feel _hurt _that Xish'ilh hadn't waited with him? That he'd just gone on without him?

"I'm...sorry," He muttered, "...for not waiting with you."

Was surprised and hurt when Bruce shrugged and said, "I didn't expect you to."

"Why?"

Those strange..._human_...eyes stared at him with bemusement. "Because you're not that kind."

Not that kind. So cruel. Yet so true. Xish'ilh was an honest person, even to himself. So he admitted the several faults he had. Knew he was tactless, selfish, greedy and judgmental. Could remember very early in their friendship, how Bruce was so open to him. Constantly expecting...

Well Xish'ilh didn't know what but he was always aware when he'd fell short of the expectations.

Because those eyes would get so cold and the human would be distant for a day or so before opening up again. And as he kept falling short...

He noticed that the expectations stopped.

And suddenly Bruce was keeping him at arms length, constantly. Unlike _J'onn. _No J'onn could _never _disappoint_. _And if he _did_? Bruce managed to forgive him. Never gave _up _on J'onn.

_...you're not that kind._

Turned over, trying to ignore the bitter taste in his mouth. No. Bruce had told the truth.

He _wasn't _that kind.

But Xish'ilh wanted to be.

"I'll wait...next time," Xish'ilh whispered, "I will."

"S'okay," Bruce murmured sleepily, "'Cept you for who y'are..."

"I don't _want _you to accept me," He hissed, sitting up to glare at his _friend_. "I want you to...to..._expect _things from me!"

A soft groan. "Xish'ilh, y'm'frien. M'not gonna giv' up n ya."

That had him sagging with such relief it was almost pitiful. "Really?"

"Y'p. Now sleep...hurt you..."

Grinning, he finally allowed his eyes to close. _"I'm going to hold you to that you know."_

"_SLEEP."_

()

VOCABULARY TAHM!! WOOOHOOOO!!

M'nkte- Ass, jerk, dick

x'kniror- sugar

Sh'k ail'e'k h'as'ar, Xish'ilh. H'AS'AR – Burst into flames, Xish'ilh. FLAMES. I needed a phrase that's like 'fuck you' or 'sit and twirl asshole', you know what you tell your friend(s) when they make a smartass comment? Well I figured since Martians fear fire...XD there ya go!

Ieiu – Kryptonese word for mother. I know this one is right.

I'm working on Shattered. It'll be up in a few days. Few being probably two. Maybe three. Anonymous reviews are now allowed thanks to someone who pointed out that most of yall are too lazy to login.


	19. Banned

Previously On Mars: An Elseworlds Story:

()

"_Don't be such a Z'yal'ik Jor!"_

"_You have to go back for Bruce!"_

"_I don't have to do anything. I'm an El."_

"_STOP SHOOTING AT US!"_

"_Humans aren't allowed in the House of El."_

"_ZIM! WHERE ARE YOU?!"_

"_You should have waited with him."_

"_I don't want you to accept me! I want you to……to…expect things from me!"_

"_SLEEP."_

()

Bang!

Dad's body hitting the cold concrete.

Bang!

Mama's body hitting the cold concrete.

Blood pouring out…

So much blood…

Cold eyes staring up….never blinking.

Dead.

Don't leave…

Don't..

()

Bruce let out a strangled gasp as he finally escaped from the nightmare, and tightly clenched his jaw shut, trying to fight the urge to vomit. Just a dream, it was just a dream. Except it wasn't really. No, that was…reality. No matter how many times he relived it, seeing his parents lying before him...always made him sick to his stomach. Literally. Took in a deep breath, trying to use the techniques taught by Aje to try and calm his body down but it was so hard because every time he closed his eyes he _saw _them...

A few minutes passed and once he was _sure _he wasn't going to lose it, Bruce relaxed his trembling form. It had been so _long _since he'd had those nightmares…Almost a year. Why were they starting up now?

Running a hand over his eyes, he looked over to where J'onn was, knowing that the Ma—

That wasn't J'onn staring at him.

"That's the _fourth _time Bruce."

It was _Xish'ilh_. And he didn't look happy. Not that the human could blame him. This was actually the seventh, but his friend hadn't woken up the other times. Maybe that was a good thing…

"Sorry Xish'ilh," he sighed, turning over on his side. Couldn't say that it wouldn't happen again; that had gone stale after the third time. Didn't know why he couldn't just _sleep_…well maybe he had _some _idea but he was reluctant to admit it.

It shouldn't be so unnerving, not having J'onn's presence nearby as he slept… but it was. Couldn't relax enough to fall asleep and when he did manage to drift off he'd end up dreaming about _that _night. Except there wasn't a friendly face to wake him up or climb in besides him. Just a grumpy Xish'ilh who kept shooting him dark glares. Since he'd come to Ma'aleca'andra, he'd slept in the same room as J'onn. Except that one time when he'd snuck out to see Xish'ilh, and even then he'd slept for a few hours with J'onn.

J'onn, who was all the way down the _hall_.

He wasn't a kid anymore. So _what _if they were in separate rooms? Didn't matter.

At least, that's what he kept trying to tell himself…

Bruce groaned, burying his face into the mattress. Stupid Jor putting him this far away from J'onn. Stupid _House of El. _He just _knew _someone was waiting for him to leave the room. Probably Zim. And he did _not _want to have to explain to _Zim _about why he couldn't sleep. Most likely the Kryptonian would just _sneer _again. Maybe make some comment like, _Awww the little human's having trouble sleeping? _And then Bruce would have to do something stupid. Like _kill _the man…

Stupid Zim. Stupid Jor. Stupid _planet. _Hated it here. He wanted to go home; where he could tease L'hed Xojil about not having x'kniror goodness and eat Naculh's delicious meals. Instead of _here. _Being treated like some _thing _and not being able to climb into bed with…

_J'onn…._

A dull thud sounded out and Bruce blinked at seeing Xish'ilh's game disk on his covers. Had to be Xish'ilhs, because Bruce's was slightly thinner and had L'hed Xojil's symbol all over it, as a way keep certain _humans _from taking it. Along with several passwords…that had only taken Bruce less than a few hours to crack. (Aje was one hell of a teacher.) L'hed Xojil still didn't have clue…

Xish'ilh crawled on his friend's bed, yawning. "Okay now…let's see…" Clicked the oval button on the right a few times before the correct game showed on it. "M'kay. This should do it."

Bruce leaned closer and smiled slightly upon reading the title. The same one he'd played with J'onn and L'helum..."I hate this game."

"Doesn't everyone?"

()

Jor didn't want to wake up. Oh yes, he was asleep. Contrary to popular Martian opinion, Kryptoinians required sleep just as much as the next species. And he had been snoozing _hard_. So much so that at first he hadn't picked up on the special _feeling_. One that was burning into his skull. The type of feeling that said, 'Hi Jor! You're currently being watched. Be afraid. Be very afraid.'

The feeling was too strong for his dreams, and broke through, stirring him awake. He let out a sound that was cross between a whine and a whimper before slowly prying his eyes open. Only to let out a girly shriek as he realized there was a _blur _standing right next to his face. It died down once said blur came into focus and he scowled upon recognizing the intruder. "Bruce?! Wha—HOW DID YOU GET IN HERE?!"

It shouldn't have been _possible_. His room had state of the art security systems. Systems which were built specifically to keep annoying-siblings-who-were-taking-the-whole-secret-vigilante-thing-WAY-too-far OUT. Zim wasn't able to get in. So how did _Bruce _do it?

"Not bad for a _human, _huh?" Bruce asked bitterly and Jor felt his shame increase. It was such an unusual feeling, being ashamed of his family. He was an El. Els didn't feel such things; it was beneath them. So...why was he now on the verge of apologizing for his family's rudeness? It wasn't El behavior and if his father even knew about the thoughts circling through his head...

It was when his mind was nagging him that Jor realized something.

_I don't want…to be like them…_

Bruce smirked at him, no doubt picking up on Jor's thoughts, evident when he said, "I think you stopped acting like them the moment I kicked you."

The Kryptonian grinned back, not sorry at all about the relief those words brought on him. "So! Uh…why'd you come in here?"

"I wanted to ask you a favor…"

()

Jor was beyond angry. No, he had passed that stage last night, when talking to Zim. Last night he'd been enraged.

Now he was _pissed. _

The chains that Ejan was holding were twinkling wickedly and it was all he could do to keep himself from ripping them away from his mother and hurling them outside of the house. Most likely the press were watching the house (like always) and any sign of distress in the House of El would make his father go into a rampage and he _really _didn't need that on top of everything else.

((He is not wearing that,)) Xish'ilh hissed dangerously. Jor wasn't the least bit surprised that the Martians felt the same way. He'd have been shocked if they _hadn't _spoken up. What Ejan was demanding ...was entirely out of line. Bruce wasn't a slave. Nor was he a pet and they'd be **damned **if she was going to treat him as such.

No doubt aware of the animosity in the room, Ejan had lost a bit of her cockiness. Martians had _telepathy, _and they were damned good at it. Now supposedly it was against their morals, but if they wanted to they could shutdown her mind.

Even that didn't make her back down. ((I cannot allow a human to run around unleashed, no matter how well trained. You know our laws.)) Her cold eyes raked the room, looking for the human in question. They landed on the Martian as she recalled Zim's story. _They didn't speak a lick of Kryptonese so I had to talk in __**their **__tongue and it was completely barbaric..._

((You. How did you learn Kryptonese so quickly?)) Upon Jor's sheepish expression her eyes narrowed. ((You let him probe your mind?!))

Her idiotic son huffed. ((_No_. I let Bruce probe my mind. He just relayed the information back to Xish'ilh.))

At hearing _that_, Ejan felt her rage intensify. He had let the _human?! _((I WANT HIM IN CHAINS NOW!)) The chains would nullify his telepathy and then maybe she'd be able to get some sleep. She hadn't been able to get any last night. She just _knew _the animal was waiting for her to let her defenses down. Maybe find out all of the House's secrets, Krypton's defenses...

She could feel those disgusting eyes on her, watching her every move but she couldn't see _him. _No the animal was _hiding. _

((Bruce is not a slave,)) J'onn stated firmly, ((Your laws do not apply to him.))

His Kryptonese was very informal and disrespectful. Ejan bristled, her hands tightening on the chains. ((I am Ejan of the House of El and I will not be denied! He WILL be in chains!))

Jor bit his lip so hard that he tasted blood. ((_Mother..._))

((My decision is final!))

Never before had he been so tempted to cast off his name. ((Maybe Kayla has the right idea!)) The words had slipped out before he knew what he was saying. A resounding _slap _echoed throughout the room, Jor's face throbbing painfully from where his mother had struck him.

He felt his heart clench when he saw that she was fighting off tears. Damn...he hadn't meant to make her _cry. _((Mom...I didn't—I wasn't...)) His awkward apology was cut off when she shoved the chains into his chest and tearfully stalked off. ((Y-your father will be hearing about this.))

Jor silently watched her leave, his face pale. Great. Not only had he made his mother cry...His father was probably going to stop by the house. And once his father saw Bruce...who knew what would happen?

He sighed and put the chains gently on the table, realizing he still had company. "We better get going."

Bruce stepped out of the shadows, his posture tense. "You sure?" He didn't really care for drama but he didn't want Jor to get in anymore trouble...more so than he already was anyway.

Jor rubbed his lip, wincing as he fingered the wound. Damn... "Yeah. I can say no to Mom but...not him." Pulled out a few multi-colored cards, handing his friends one each. "Here's your money and before you ask, yes you each have your own account, no there's no limit, yes I can do this, no you're not imposing, yes I can it's my money I can do what I want with it, they check ID so don't even bother, and everything you buy here you have to bring home with you so keep that in mind." He took in a deep breath. "Let's go! Namda's waiting for us!"

They watched him charge out of the house, his head held so high he nearly tripped. Xish'ilh leaned over towards Bruce, snickering, "Either he's growing smarter or we're getting predictable."

Bruce didn't answer, his gaze thoughtful. "I wonder if they check IDs on explosives..."

()

Dandahu Park was located just on the cost of Argo City, Lurvan. It was not even a full mile away from Dandahu Ocean, so it was obvious where the name came from. Not really original, but it looked amazing. Huge rides all over the place, booths set up where games were played, people laughing with friends and family members.

There was one really popular game, called the Kitro. It reminded Bruce the game of 'tag' but with a twist. From what he could tell, people would step inside this huge dome-like structure, and slip on special suits. Then the door would shut, a lever would be pulled and after a few seconds the people would start floating in midair. The object of the game seemed to be to tag the other 'teammembers', but it was hard because one had to basically 'swim' through the air.

Add to the fact that most of the people were too busy laughing to really chase each other, a huge magnetic thing would swoop down, making everyone within ten feet get stuck to it.

Of course, that was the first one they went to.

Since it was just four of them a young woman joined. J'onn was sure to keep a distance away from her. She was...beautiful, and he didn't really do well around beautiful people. It was Bruce and Xish'ilh on one team; J'onn, Jor and whatshername on the other. Not exactly fair, but no one was complaining.

"So, children against grow ups?" Jor chortled as he slipped into his suit. Kind of snug...

"Doubtful," Bruce replied, "if it were, Jor would be with us." He groaned at how the suit fit. Snug across the chest, but short in the arms and legs. And the color...wait... "Why'd you give me the girl's?!"

Xish'ilh snickered at him. "Because anything else would have fallen off your s--"

"If you say scrawny, I swear to H'ronmeer--"

"Slim, I was going to say _slim_..."

J'onn chuckled at the exchange, shrugging on his own suit. IT was a little tight but a shift in body structure changed that. "Perhaps it is smartest against--"

"Do you _really _want them to go there?" Jor-El interrupted, as he shrugged out of the suit and reached for another one. "Because that's just asking for it."

"I got it!" Xish'ilh exclaimed, "Losers against the most awesome!"

Before a huge argument could start out, the light turned green and they all started floating. "Wait!" Jor made a grab for his suit. He'd been in the process of changing into a less snug one but Xish'ilh had destracted—he didn't even have a full leg in yet!

The suit floated away and Jor struggled to keep his pants from following. "BRUCE!"

As soon as the name fell from his lips, Jor paled. No one had been aware of his predicament until he'd yelled. Now the human was heading towards his suit...with a smirk that said Jor wasn't going to get it back. "J'onn!"

"AHAHAHAHA!!"

The Kryptonian felt his eye twitch. J'onn was _laughing _at him!

Before he could say anything, a voice screeched, "GOTCHA PANTS!!"

Annnnnd then there was a **breeze**.

Could tell without even looking that he was now...pantsless.

In a clear, dome-like structure, floating high for _everyone _to see—and dear Rao **they were taking pictures.**

Pictures! Of him! **Without.Any.Pants.**

"Xish'ilh!" Jor roared, trying to air-swim and cover his valuables at that same time. "You give them back!"

Laughter was his only answer.

"I'm an El!"

The laughter increased.

Jor _finally _caught the Martian and started throttling him. "I'm an El! I'M AN EL AND I WILL KILL YOU **IF YOU DON'T GIVE ME MY PANTS!!"**

The Martian was turning _colors _from laughing. At HIM.

"GIVE.ME.MY.PANTS."

"D-d-don't...h-h-haa-hahaha!!"

He let go of evil incarnate, realizing that they were getting closer to the ground.

The ride was over? Already?

Thank Rao...

As soon as he was on the ground, he tackled Bruce to the ground. "GIVE ME MY PANTS!!"

"Dear god this is WRONG!"

"GIVE IT TO ME! MY PANTS!"

"GET OFF!"

"NOT UNTIL YOU GIMME!"

"**AHEM.**"

That AHEM, made both of them shoot into a standing position. Manager guy. Did not look happy.

"Sir, you are aware of our rules here at Dandahu Park, correct?"

Jor mumbled something rude.

"Your...idea of fun is against those--"

"FUN?! THEY TOOK MY PANTS!"

Bruce sheepishly handed back the article of clothing. Jor snatched the item and waved them in the Manager's face. "SEE?!"

"The suit prevents that," the Manage said, rolling his eyes.

"I know!" Jor growled, "The first one didn't fit--"

"You were given five minutes."

"They said I was childish!"

Manager-Man lifted an eyebrow. "Liars, every last one of them."

The _tone _had Jor shouting, "THE FIRST ONE WAS SNUG! IT WAS A LARGE! I'M NOT GAINTING FAT IT'S MUSCLE, I DON'T CARE WHAT NAMDA SAYS! I HAVE MY PANTS, I'M NOT CHILDISH AND I'M AN EL! SO THERE!"

The older man stared at him for a few seconds, no doubt waiting for his ears to stop bleeding. Then, he said, "The first one wasn't a large, but an extra large. Which you damaged by trying to squeeze your bloated figure in. The public had to **see **the bottom half of said disgusting figure. You owe them an apology. You are **indeed** childish, as an adult would have ignored--"

"You finished?!" Jor snarled, growling at his supposed friends who were STILL laughing at him.

"Not quite. Smile!"

There was a bright flash that blinded him.

"Congrats. You are now an 'El' who has been banned from the park."

Jor, having pulled on his pants, gapped at the man. "B-wh-HOW LONG?!"

Sharp eyes narrowed even further. "Until I drop dead."

Xish'ilh snickered, "So what, tomorrow?"

Upon seeing the man go to take another picture he shrieked and dove behind Bruce. "Sorry! I'm sorry!"

The man escorted them out, giving witty replies along the way.

"B-I'm an El! An El's never been banned before!"

"Then this must be a momentus occasion."

"Does the name Alfred ring a bell?"

"I'm afraid not, young sir."

"MOMENTUS?! YOU BANNED ME!"

"Yes I did. If you wish for a security footage documenting the occasion, I charge three kryptoes."

"What about Pennyworth?"

"I don't recall, no."

"THREE—YOU CRAZY?!"

"The price just doubled."

"But it would explain so much! No man should have that much power! You **have **to be related to him!"

"To a human? Doubtful. Here is where I leave you gentlemen. Child."

He left them all gawking at his back, just outside the park.

"B-you have to! There's no other—YOU HAVE TO!"

"I'M NOT A CHILD!!"

()

I hope to introduce Kayla next chapter. No promises though.


	20. Sharpos

Mars: An Elseworlds Story

()

Nimda turned away from Jor, face and eyes both red. She couldn't let him see her in this state. Not after what she'd done. Her hand still tingled from where she'd...but she hadn't _meant _to, really. She'd just been so furious when she'd thought....

She'd been too busy to meet up with Jor and them yesterday, so she had missed the whole pants/getting banned incident. Had just seen that _woman _with a picture of _her _Jor naked from the waist down and had just....snapped.

Jor, of course, had shrieked and dodged behind whatever he could find; people, buildings, vehicles... Hadn't even known what she was pissed about until she'd yelled it at him. Then he had stopped and turned to say something....

And that's when she slapped him.

Seconds before he could explain what'd happened. "Nimda--OW! NIMDA! EVERYBODY has that picture!"

That's when she slapped him again.

"OW! NIMDA! No! You got it all wrong! It was--THEY TOOK MY PANTS! And I got banned!"

Went to slap him yet again, when she blinked and said, "...**what**?"

So he explained. Then she felt guilty. So, unbelievably guilty.

"Hey..." Strong arms enveloped her, just in time to stop her from running off. "Nimda, it's okay."

"No, it's not." her lip trembled. "I-I just...slapped you. Because I--"

"Twice," Jor mumbled into her shoulder. "It was twice. You hit good for your size.."

Now wasn't the time for jokes, he realized, as his to-be struggled to move away. "Nim--"

"I'm so stupid!"

He pulled her tighter against his chest, wincing when she bit him. Still didn't let go though. "You're stupid and I'm a....what was it you called me again?"

Nimda sniffled. "A...a sharpos..."

A blink. "Okay I only know Martian and Kryptonese. I'm on my way to learning X-"

"I-I made it up." Why was he talking to her? Why wasn't he _leaving_? "I-it's a mindless sharyl who only thinks with their pos."

Felt the arms holding her start to tremble and flinched. This was it. She was going to lose him. All due to a stupid misunderstanding. The thought of her life without Jor made her heart clench. She loved him. Sure he was ill-tempered and _really _needed to learn to think _everything _through, at least _twice _before doing it. And then, if by chance it _still _sounded like a good idea, he needed to learn to consult less-idiotic people. No less than three.

Yes, he was a buffoon...but he was also brave, loyal and quick to stand up for his friends.

Now she was going to lose him. Over something so _stupid...._

A loud chuckle came from behind her and she glared at the arms holding her. "JOR-EL! Are you _laughing _at me?!" How **dare **he laugh at her?! Whipped around, eyes flashing and prepared to start shouting at him, when he pulled her in closer for a soft kiss. "Nim, you're stupid. I'm a possharthingy--"

"Sharpos."

"SEE?!" He kissed her again. "Only an idiot would correct someone as often as you do! And only a poshariting--"

_"Sharpos!_" Damnit it was _her _word. The only one who could butcher it was her!

"_Sharpos_ would put up with it! See?! Perfect!"

Nimda stared at Jor for a few seconds, taking in his large grin. _He's...being sincere about this. _She groaned, resting her head against his chest. "I don't know what I find more pitiful. The fact that you actually expect those words to comfort me--"

"Hey!"

"--or the fact that....they actually sort of kinda did."

Jor shifted and Nimda sucked in a deep breath. Tears sprang up to her eyes. "J-Jor..."

"I know," he chirped, "you feel completely humiliated and feel that you ought to make it up to me by doing that thing with your--"

"JOR YOU'RE STEPPING ON MY FOOT!" A harsh shove had him sprawling backwards on the ground, but all Nimda cared about was that the blinding pain in her foot was gone. Ohhhh it was pure BLISS.

She sheepishly helped her to-be up, frowning as something occurred to her. "Hey...wait if you're banned...where are the others?" Stark logic said that he probably told them to continue on without him but a small part of her pleaded with the gods that he wouldn't be _that _stupid.

Jor shrugged. "At the park."

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!?!"

He sighed mournfully. "Again with the yelling. I thought we moved past this."

Nimda pinched the bridge of her nose, took in a deep breath, then said, "Have you no idea what day it is at the park?"

Jor blinked. "Oh, that? Well I mean....they might not like it, but I doubt they'll--WHOAH! NIMDA!" He was now being pulled by his to-be in the direction of the park. Struggled to get away, only to be swatted at irritably. "No! NO! Nimda! That old man is there! And he said--his glare--no! I can't!"

She stopped trying to pull him forward, turning to glare instead. "Either you go in the park, or you risk losing your friends. Permanently."

Yanked his hand away, growling slightly. "What are you _talking _about?"

()

At first, they hadn't known what was going on. All that they'd been able to make out was that a large crowd of people were laughing and cheering on a small group of people. The crowd's laughing and chatter was drowning out any sounds to clue them in on what was going on, but it _sounded _like fun. So eager to be let in on the joke, J'onn, Bruce and Xish'ilh slowly made their way to the front of the crowd.

Only...

What they saw didn't make them laugh or cheer.

Before them, was a large pen, with about six large men standing in it. Their weapons were aimed at the small, silverish globs on the ground. Said globs were all quivering madly as they dodged weapons and beams headed their way. Some weren't quick enough to dodge and flew back a few feet. Some didn't get back up, most of them did. Bruce was absolutely floored as he heard the voices behind him cheering on these..._monsters. _

The poor little Zo'oks were so frightened by the things that were being thrown at them. Their small minds racing frantically, trying to understand what they'd done wrong and why they were being punished. So scared....

Bruce could _feel _their terror. They were reaching out to him, begging for help. He slowly reached a hand out, his throat feeling tight. How could they be _cheering _at this? Glanced out of the corner of his eye, wanting to see how J'onn and Xish'ilh were holding up. If _he _was taking it bad, then _they _had to be...

Gone.

Felt his anger surge up, understanding sinking in mere seconds later. Of course. They had to leave or else they would have exploded. Might have even shut down all the spectators' minds. He had to find them. Then together they could...figure out _something _to do.

Turned to leave when he saw one of the Zo'oks move towards him. It was almost to the edge of the fence when one of the men moved infront of it, blocking its path. The man raised his weapon to strike at the Zo'ok.

Bruce snapped.

Seconds later, the man was flying through the air. He crashed into the fence, causing a cloud of dust to rise up around the crowd. By the time it cleared, both Bruce and the Zo'ok were long gone.

()

Bruce slumped against a tree with a breathless sigh. Well...it might not have been a tree. It was strangely colored and was kind of wirey, but to him it was a tree and that's what he was going to call it. Looking up from his still-cupped hands, he forced himself to relax. After all, he was far away from the ocean, therefor far away from the park and those _beasts_. He cautiously uncupped his hands, giving the Zo'ok a soft stroke.

_"Are you okay?" _he asked it mentally.

It was kind of a silly question to ask it, seeing how Zo'oks weren't exactly a sentient race. Small and fragile, they were held in highest esteem in Martian Society for their shift-shaping abilities. The bond between a Martian and a Zo'ok was _sacred_. They weren't really self-reliant, needing a host to fully function, but it was a give-and-take relationship, so usually both partners were pleased.

Zo'oks only had about fifty words in their vocabulary, but they were loyal and fiercly protective of their Hosts.

_"S'rry. S'rry s'rry s'rry s'rry!" _Its voice was shrill inside Bruce's mind and the human winced at how frightened it sounded.

_"Hey..shh...calm down..." _Gave it another soothing stroke, wanting more than anything for it to stop shaking so hard. _"I'm not like __**them**__. I won't hurt you."_

The little zo'ok struggled to get away. _"H'rt! H'rt h'rt h'rt!"_

Bruce squirmed slightly; the damn thing was _strong_. _"Calm d..." _He trailed off, eyes narrowing as he sensed something to his left. He was being watched. By...

He blinked. "Zim?" What did _he _want?

Another fluttering of eyelids and the El was standing before him, proud as ever. "You're going to have to return that."

The zo'ok started trembling even more and Bruce let out a slight growl. "I don't _have _to do anything."

At seeing something flash in those eyes...Zim knew it wasn't logical; he was taller, older and smarter than the _human_. There was no need to be alarmed...yet there was something in those blue eyes...flashing...something _animalistic. _

"Look, _human," _Zim spat, taking a step forward, despite his instincts screaming at him to do otherwise. "You've _stolen _it. It doesn't belong to _you_. Am I speaking too _fast_?"

Something in those eyes _shifted_. One second they were open and bright; the next they were icy and full of shadows. Right away Zim was on alert, waiting for _it _to attack. Had to be ready to spring at the slightest movement, for Bruce surely was.

"Try to understand," said Bruce, his voice both soft and tight at the same time, as if he were restraining himself, "These things....they're called Zo'oks. They're scared. They can't feel physical pain, no. But mentally...They don't understand what's going on. They're crying out to be saved."

They were now circling each other slowly, Zim looking for possible openings and Bruce keeping his eyes locked on the El's. "I can't let this one go back. And I can't let the others remain."

Zim snarled, "The Zo'oks aren't sentient creatures! They're just stupid p--"

"**AND THAT MAKES IT OKAY**?!?!" Came the thundering roar, making the El stumble back slightly. The _rage_... "Tell me, _Zim_. When was it _decided _that the weak shouldn't be given the chance to _survive_? Why don't the strong help the weak when they can, instead of **stomping **on them at their lowest moments?! _**Who was the big shot that decided to forsake the weak ones and why is everyone following their example?!?!**_"

A thud sounded out as Zim fell to the ground, not having time to dodge Bruce's nerve pinches. Then again, maybe he wasn't really trying. He let Bruce run off with his little Zo'ok, staring up at the trees. He knew the technique to get out of the pinches, but right now he just chose to gaze at the pink sky. So peaceful...he could hear everything and nothing at the same time. It was overwhelmingly quiet in a non quiet way.

He thought about Kayla. His older sister who lived in the same house they did. She didn't speak to anyone. Any time they tried talking to her, her eyes would simply ghost over them. Sometimes he thought he'd seen disgust in those green orbs. Was that why? Was she like Bruce? Wanting to protect the weak?

Thought of himself. When he first donned the mask, what it meant to him. That he was casting aside his name to make a difference by his _own _hands. To change Krypton for the better. When did it go from changing Krypton for the better, to turning a blind eye to those that called out to him? Maybe they were inferior, maybe they weren't as good looking as most Kryptonians....but when did that start to matter? He hadn't cared back then. Why...

_...Why don't the strong help the weak when they can, instead of stomping on them at their lowest moments?! __**Who was the big shot that decided to forsake the weak ones and why is everyone following their example?!?!**_

"Why...indeed..." he murmured softly, watching as the sky began to darken. It started to rain, yet he still didn't move to get up.

()

I was going to write more, I swear. But then....:groans: I don't know! I just....

I need a beta. My current one has vanished. Doesn't get on anymore. Has a life or something like that. But anyway, Beta. I need someone who will kick me in the pants and stop me from being lazy. Someone who'll give me plot bunnies when all mine are dead. Beta beta beta. PM me if you're interested or know someone who is. :groans: I'm in dire need. My creativity is getting sucked out of me. Beta.


	21. Zo'ok

Mars: An Elseworlds Story

Chapter Twenty One

()

_Zo'ok was scared. So very very scared. Why had strange person taken him? Was he going to get punished soon? Zo'ok started shivering again. Didn't want to be punished. Wasn't fair! Zo'ok had been good! __Very good! __Always good! Never bad…never did anything wrong. Behaved! So why, WHY was Zo'ok always punished? It made Zo'ok very sad, enough so that he'd start trembling. Zo'ok didn't like to tremble. __T__rembling brought punishment. _

_Zo'ok didn't like being punished. It didn't hurt, but it was so scary. Hitting Zo'ok, making him fly around and crash into other things. They were always so __happy __when Zo'ok was being punished. Why? Zo'ok never did bad! Why?! Zo'ok didn't know why. __Zo'ok really didn't like them__. They were always so mean, throwing things and scaring him. So happy at his shrieks… But then, Zo'ok had seen them. _

_Green ones! They were there! Zo'ok had been told about green ones! Zo'ok had seen things. They were __nice__. Wouldn't punish Zo'ok. All too soon, though, they had fled and Zo'ok let out a sound of anguish. Don't leave! Not without Zo'ok! Zo'ok hadn't meant it! Wouldn't be bad no more! Just don't leave. Inched forward, determined to go after the Green Ones. They were safe. Zo'ok didn't like it there no more! Wanted to leave…_

_But Zo'ok forgot about the persons around. And Zo'ok had gotten caught being bad. Which meant…_

_Zo'ok trembled, letting out another shrill towards the Green Ones. Don't leave! Come back! _

_Only, person never got to punish Zo'ok, because he'd gotten punished himself. By….another person? Why? _

_Suddenly Zo'ok was in person's hands, running away from other persons. Why? Fast. Moving. They was moving fast. Zo'ok and person. So so fast…Zo'ok grew scared, remembering how fast Zo'ok would go through the air when being punished. Didn't like going fast. Soon though, strange person stopped moving fast and Zo'ok just knew they were far away from the Green Ones now. Nooo! Back! Zo'ok wanted to be safe again!_

"_Are you okay?"_

_Zo'ok was scared at hearing person talk to him. Zo'ok had tried to talk to other persons but persons never listened. Never talked back. Lonely. Zo'ok had been so lonely. Why talk to Zo'ok now? Zo'ok had been bad. Zo'ok had been trying to escape to Green Ones. Zo'ok was going to be punished soon. _

"_S'rry! S'rry s'rry s'rry!" Zo'ok was sorry! Zo'ok would be good! Never bad again. Nevernevernever! No fly! No scares! _

_Person was touching him. Zo'ok squirmed under touch. Didn't like it when persons prodded Zo'ok. Scary. _

_"Hey..shh...calm down_ …_I'm not like __them__. I won't hurt you." Person was angry now. Zo'ok could feel it. Person had gotten angry. At Zo'ok? Why?! Zo'ok had been good! _

"_H'rt! H'rt h'rt h'rt!" Tried to squirm to even more to get away. Green Ones. Had to get to Green Ones. Then Zo'ok would be save from the Persons. Let go. Zo'ok was bad, Zo'ok knew but Zo'ok didn't care no more. Wanted Green Ones. Wanted safe. _

_Suddenly Person was looking up. To other Person. _"You're going to have to return that."

_Return? Return Zo'ok? Zo'ok looked up at Strange-Person. Strange-Person was angry now. Zo'ok trembled. Didn't like angry persons. Scary. _"I don't _have _to do anything." _Strange-Person was growing scared. Panicked. Zo'ok snuggled closer into Strange-Person's hands. Strange-Person was smaller than Big-Person. Did that mean Big-Person was going to punish Strange-Person? Zo'ok felt sad for Strange-Person. Being punished was not fun._

"Look _human_…you've _stolen _it. It doesn't belong to _you_. Am I speaking too _fast_?" _Zo'ok trembled even more. Big-Person was angry. So angry. Strange-Person was so close to punishment. Why? Cause Strange-Person had taken Zo'ok? Zo'ok didn't like that. Zo'ok didn't want Strange-Person to be punished cause of Zo'ok. Persons didn't even __like __Zo'ok. Why would Strange-Person risk getting punished?_

"Try to understand…" _Zo'ok had never heard such pain in a Person's voice before. Both Persons were now circling each other and Zo'ok let out a shrill at seeing how angry Big-Person was. So scary… _"These things…they're called Zo'oks. They're scared. They can't feel physical pain, no. But mentally…they don't understand what's going on. They're crying out to be saved."

_Zo'ok was…confused?Yes. Confused. Why Strange-Person know Zo'ok? Why Strange-Person know how scared Zo'ok was? Why did Strange-Person care? Zo'ok didn't like Strange-Person. Strange-Person scared Zo'ok. So why would Strange-Person try to save Zo'ok?_

"I can't let this one go back. And I can't let the others remain."

_Zo'ok stoped all trembling, looking up at Strange-Person. Strange-Person was…..saving other Zo'oks? Why?_

"The Zo'oks aren't sentient creatures! They're just stupid p--"

"AND THAT MAKES IT OKAY?!?!"

_Zo'ok was trembling again. But not out of fear. Zo'ok was…in awe. How could Strange-Person care so much about Zo'ok? Why? _"Tell me, _Zim_. When was it _decided _that the weak shouldn't be given the chance to _survive_? Why don't the strong help the weak when they can, instead of stomping on them at their lowest moments?! _Who was the big shot that decided to forsake the weak ones and why is everyone following their example?!?!_"

_Zo'ok didn't understand. Strange-Person wasn't punishing Zo'ok. Strange-Person was…saving? Helping? Caring? _

_Suddenly things moved very fast and Big-Person was down on ground and they were moving again. Away from Big-Person. Away from punishment and scariness. Zo'ok gave Strange-Person's hands a soft nudge. Strange-Person stopped moving and looked down at Zo'ok. Eyes were wet. Sad? Strange-Person was sad? Why? "A-are you..hurt?"_

_Strange-Person was caring over Zo'ok? But Strange-Person was the sad one! "Why cry? Why sad?"_

_Strange-Person touched face, showing surprise at tears. How could Strange-Person not know about sadness? "I-…I don't like hurting people. It's…scary."_

_Strange-Person didn't like punishing Persons? Zo'ok could understand that. Cause Zo'ok's person was nice, is why. Zo'ok gave a light chirp, trying to cheer Strange-Person up. "Zo'ok okay! No hurt!"_

_Eyes changed. Funny? Zo'ok was being funny? _

"_I don't really like being called 'Strange-Person'. I have a name. It's Bruce."_

_Zo'ok didn't understand. Zo'ok was Zo'ok. Strange-Person was Strange-Person. _

"_Not Person. Different."_

_Different?_

"_Yes. Persons are….Persons. I am Bruce."_

_So Strange-Person wasn't a person at all? But a Bruce?_

"_Close enough."_

_Zo'ok gave another chirp, feeling much more at ease, knowing that his Person wasn't a Person, but a Bruce. What about Zo'ok? Did Zo'ok get to stay Zo'ok or did Zo'ok turn something else?_

"_I'll think about it. I can't name you. That's…I'm probably not going to keep you."_

_Zo'ok grew terribly sad at that. Why? Had Zo'ok done bad? Was Zo'ok going to go back?! _

"_No! I won't give you back to those--…Persons. I just….well you'll probably go to some nice Martians—"_

_Martians? What were Martians?_

"_The..well they're green and—"_

_Green Ones? Bruce was taking him to Green Ones? The ones he was safe with?_

"_Right. So see? You'll be with them and safe."_

_Zo'ok was still sad. Didn't want to go to Green Ones. Liked his Bruce. Bruce was safe. Bruce liked Zo'ok. Zo'ok liked Bruce. Why couldn't Zo'ok stay?_

"_Y…..you'd want to stay with…me?"_

_Yes! So very much! Zo'ok loved his Bruce! Bruce was safe! Nice! Brave! Lovelovelovelovelovelovelovel—_

"_Okay! I get it! Love!" Bruce was….embarrassed? Why? Did Zo'ok do bad? _

"_No. Just….it's weird."_

_Why?_

"_No one's said that….in a long time."_

_Well that was mean. How could no one love his Bruce? His Bruce was—_

"_Okay, thanks, I get it. ….Ace."_

_Ace? What was Ace?_

"_I guess you are. If—you ahh—want to be, I guess."_

_So Bruce was keeping Zo'ok?_

"_I gave you a name didn't I? Do you like it or not?"_

_Name?_

"_Ace. You are Ace."_

_Oh! Zo'ok was Ace?! _

"_Unless you don't want to be. I can think of—"_

_No! Nonononononononono! Zo'ok wanted to be Ace! Liked Ace! _

"_Okay then. Ace it is."_

_Zo'ok wasn't Zo'ok anymore. Zo'ok was Ace. Strange-Person was now Bruce. What else was new? Ace was curious. He squirmed out of a small opening and shimmied up to Bruce's shoulder, where he could see more. OH! That! What was that?!_

"_It's some type of….bird thing."_

_Bird? Bird-thing?_

"_Just go with Bird."_

_Bird. Bird was pretty. Bird made nice noises. Oh! Bird had friend! Bird had other Bird friend! Pre—oh! What that? What what what?_

"_Um...a flower. I think."_

_Flower? Pretty! Did Flower make noises?_

"_I…don't really want to find out."_

_Why?_

"_Because it might be dangerous."_

_Why?_

"_It could be like a-a-thing! That um—eats stuff! I remember those!"_

_So flower is not flower but Thing?_

"_No! It just…" Bruce made a sound. He sounded annoyed. But Ace wasn't afraid. Bruce was safe. "It's a flower. I think. But I don't think it makes noises."_

_Oh. That made flower boring. Oh! What was that? Moving! It was moving! Oh! Up a thing! What that? What that what whatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhat??_

"_That's a….fuzzy looking creature. And it's climbing up a….well I think it's a tree. I'm not sure."_

_Fuzzy-looking…what?_

"_Let's just call it a squirrel."_

_Squirrel? What was Squirrel doing?_

"_Climbling up a tree."_

_Why?_

"_Cause."_

_Why?_

"_It probably had more squirrels in the tree."_

_Tree?_

"_The thing Squirrel moved up on."_

_Oh! Tree! Did Tree make noises?_

"_It depends on if there's anyone around to hear it or not."_

_They were still moving, and Ace was bouncing looking around as they passed more flowers and trees. Bruce wasn't getting angry at Ace's questions. Ace grew warmer and started asking biiiig question. Such like what was THAT?_

"_What is what?"_

_THAT._

"_I don't know where you're looking. There's nothing there."_

_THAT. Right THERE._

"_Ah…sky? You want to know what the sky is?"_

_So it was Sky? _

"_Yeah. I think. If that's what you're looking that…"_

_Sky was so pretty! Sooooo pretty!_

"_It's hvek'n."_

_Ace thought it was Sky?_

"_Well it IS. But it's also hvek'n."_

_So Sky is also hvek'n?_

"_Yes."_

_Why?_

"_Well that's why you think it's so pretty. Because it's hvek'n."_

_Oh! So did h…hhh.._

"_Hvek'n."_

_Did hvek'n make flowers pretty?_

"_Yeup. There's too MUCH of it on this planet, really…"_

_Bruce did not like hvek'n? Why? Was hvek'n bad?_

"_No, it just…annoys me I guess."_

_Why?_

"_I dunno. I just don't like it."_

_Why?_

"_Because it's EVERYWHERE."_

_Why?_

"_I think it's because I don't like it. I bet if I loved it, there wouldn't be a spot of it on this planet."_

_So Hvek'n is only here because Bruce hated it?_

"_Exactly."_

_Well that was mean. Ace didn't like hvek'n no more. _

"_Well you don't have to go that—"_

_What that? Why moving? Why why why—PERSON! Persons is coming! No! Ace slipped closer to Bruce, slipping inside a dark hole. It was dark and scary but he couldn't see persons no more! So it was safe. Oh. And warm. Mmmm…_

()

Bruce let out a yelp as the Zo'ok suddenly slipped inside his shirt, chewing through his lip to keep from letting out a shriek of un-manly laughter. So hard to do. Especially when Ace was now doing this strange—

Was it _purring? _

He managed to get past the stranger before letting out a shaky sigh and reaching in to pull Ace out of his shirt. The Zo'ok protested, only to quiet down as he placed it on his shoulder again. "Don't you want to see some more?"

"_Is persons gone?"_

A sigh. Poor thing had obviously developed an extreme distrust towards Kryptonians. It had only really started to 'talk' when he'd learned that Bruce was….well…Bruce. The little thing had continued to ask question after question, frustrating him to no end with all the 'whys'. He had wanted so badly to snap BECAUSE at Ace, but then Ace would no doubt start trembling and asking what he'd done wrong so…

"_Oh! Pretty! Where is hvek'n though? Hvek'n isn't there to make pretty. Why?"_

Fighting back a shrug, so as to not startle the Zo'ok, Bruce replied, "It's pretty because it's a different color."

"_Color?"_

"Yes. Hvek'n is a color."

"…_so sky is hvenk'n and hvek'n is color?"_

"Well…there's a lot of colors. Hvek'n is just one of them."

"_Is sky color?"_

"No. Sky is sky."

"_But sky is hvek'n."_

"Right."

"_Hvek'n is color. Sky color."_

Bruce felt his brow furrow. How was he supposed to explain this in a way Ace would understand? "Aah…color is too…it's just not, okay?"

"_Why?"_

"Because I say so!"

Instead of getting angry, the little Zo'ok let out a chirping noise, which he took to mean happiness. _"Bruce is smart!"_

The young man would have slapped his forehead had he not had more restraint. Ace considered him smart? Did he _not—_well okay, he probably didn't have any idea just how bad his test scores were compared to the Martians in his class..

"_Lovelovelovelovelovelovelovelovelovelove…."_

The strange purring started up again and he winced as the vibrations tickled his neck, grumbling, "I really wish you'd cut that out."

At hearing his statemeant, and feeling Ace suddenly drop into depression, he groaned, "Okay! I love you too!"

"_Lovelovelovelovelovelovelovelovelovelovelovelovelovelovelove…"_

Bruce really hoped it stopped doing that by the time he entered the House of Els.

()

MY BETA IS BAAAAAAACK! And she is as awesome as EVER!! So this chapter is replacing the other one. And it may not seem like much but oh my GAWD she's made it like a gajillion times better. Because THAT is how awesome she is. What's her name you may or may not be wondering? I'll tell you. DRUM ROLL PLEAASE!!! :crickets chirp: Hmpf. Jerks. Anyway, she is the ONE the ONLY the LOVELY-- **A Lone Black Rose !!!!**

**She's awesome. And she's mine. ALL MINE! BWAHAHAHAHAHA---starts choking. Damn flu! **


	22. Worthy

Mars: An Elseworlds Story

Chapter Twenty-Two

()

J'onn wasn't lost.

Lost implied that one didn't know how to get to a set destination from where one was. So, while he had no idea where he was, the buildings having long blended into one another, people becoming face-less blurs, but he also had no idea where he wanted to go, so to him, he wasn't lost. He was merely...wondering. Drifting through a sea of blurred structures and fuzzy forms.

Wondering kept his mind from focusing on the darker things that had been plaguing his mind as of late, such as the fact that killing those _Kryptonians _would have been so very easy. Ridiculously easy, in fact. They didn't have shields, didn't know how to keep from broadcasting every little _pathetic _thought of theirs.

Broadcasting so loudly, all the time, that it was a wonder that he had been able to sleep for the few hours he did each night. It was like the city never slept, it just kept going and going, always so _loud_ until he couldn't even hear his own thoughts anymore.

Xish'ilh and Bruce hadn't mention anything, and J'onn wondered if it was because they were too young to pick up on all of it, or if they didn't want to be seen as weak. That could have been why Bruce was starting to look so haggard...

_Wait til you see Krypton! It's the most beautiful planet in the universe! It's just so alive! _

Jor had lied.

Maybe that was a bit too harsh. It could be that Krypton _was _the most beautiful planet, but the people were shallow, cruel and self-absorbed. They saw themselves above everything else, apparently placing themselves on a level equivalent to that of gods or other celestial beings, treating Bruce like he was some type of _animal_...even if it was just Zim and Ejan..

Torturing poor defenseless creatures and _laughing _about it...

J'onn quickly cut off his line of thinking, not liking where they were turning. He didn't want to hate Krypton, Jor's home planet because of the cruelty of its occupants because it was beautiful. Really, it was, and one only had to look at Jor's face when he talked of it to see just how proud he was of his home. And yet… every time J'onn closed his eyes, he could see the little Zo'oks', hear their screeches, especially as they left the scene, begging to come back, that they'd be good_neverbebadagainnevernevernevercomebackdon'tleavesorrysorrysorry--_

It was enough to make him tremble with **rage **and he wanted so badly to free them but at the same time...

He was a coward. For all of his codes and feelings of righteousness, he was too much of a coward to help those who needed him. Was too scared to defend the weak from their agressors…

Wasn't like Bruce.

Bruce…

The human had a way about him. His sharp mind seemed to examine all options from each angle, offering several conclusions, getting rid of those he didn't like, until finally he reached one, a solution to whatever problem it was, and no matter how far-fetched said solution was...

No matter how little of a chance there was of succeeding, he simply..._did it_. Bruce was somehow able to do things, simply by willing himself to do it. His training with Aje was a huge testament to that.

()

"_You m'nkte! T__ake it back__!"_

"_Bru—"_

"_TAKE IT BACK!"_

"_Bruce__, all I did was say that maybe Aje has a point--"_

"_NO, J'onn! He doesn't!!"_

"_He just said that maybe you wouldn't be able to learn a few moves, because of your h--"_

"_DON'T! Don't say it! I can do ANYTHING a Martian can do. ANYTHING!"_

"_Bruce--"_

"_I can! I can move __around__ undetected!"_

"_It's not--"_

"_I can mind-talk! I can read your language, modern and ancient!"_

"_B--"_

"_I can breathe your air! I can eat your food, I can pass your stupid classes and their stupid tests and I can handle your RAIN AND I CAN--"_

"_Bruce, you're human. There's limits to what you can do!"_

"_I'm more than that! That changed the second I agreed the live here!"_

"_There's limits, Bruce. You're not Martian, you __**know**__ that."_

"_You don't believe I can do it?!?"_

"_NO! And I don't want you to kill yourself trying to prove me wrong!"_

"_I will NOT kill myself. I WILL prove you, Aje, and everyone else on this stupid rock wrong."_

"_It's okay, to be human Bruce. It's what you are. There's nothing __**wrong **__with that."_

"_I am just as good as any Martian. And I __**will **__prove it."_

"_Good luck with that."_

"_I don't need luck, and I DON'T need you!"_

J'onn had, of course, been deeply cut by those words, but he'd tried to brush them off as something said in the heat of the moment. Bruce never mentioned the topic again, and neither had he.

And when Bruce succeeded in perfecting the move... maybe not the same way as Xish'ilh...had to shift his weight a certain way, change a few things, but still managed to accomplish the same goal, J'onn hadn't apologized.

He hadn't said anything at all. Because he'd seen the bruises, the broken bones that Bruce had tried to hide from him. Had seen what it'd taken to 'prove' him wrong.

He still had his doubts, but from then on, he'd kept them to himself.

J'onn wasn't like that. He could try but in the end, he was just like all the other Martians out there. Bruce was unique. He was human and, despite the physical limitations that implied, there were times where J'onn envied his simply humanity above anything else in the galaxy. No matter how you looked at it, Bruce was special, and J'onn was just like every other Martian. Bruce was an enigma and J'onn was… just J'onn.

He was green, he was thin, his eyes were orange and hexagonal, and he was.....in a library? What?

His surroundings suddenly came back to him in a rush and he blinked, realizing for the first time that he was surrounded by books and data disks, all stacked neatly in perfectly ordered shelves reaching so high they seemed to touch a ceiling that went on forever.

All the anger and stress suddenly left his body, draining so quickly that all traces were wiped from his person. The sudden loss of tension had his shoulders slumping slightly from relief. This was...a safe place for him. Like the Aqi on Mars. Here, he could get lost in other worlds, never to worry about the problems and tribulations plaguing his own. With a gentle smile, he randomly started walking in a direction, not caring about anything as he pulled a book from one of the shelves and cracked it open to the first page.

Small, neat Kryptonese letters stared up at him from the pages.

Beautiful.

He chose a table, eyes still on the pages as he started to read, oblivious to everything around him.

At least, that was the plan, until he noticed the occupant of the table.

She looked vaguely familiar and J'onn realized with a start that she was the girl who'd accompanied them on that floaty ride. Still looked just the same as when he had last seen her, just as breath-taking. Flowing hair fell into her face as she concentrated, her eyes narrowing slightly as she focused on the book in her hands.

J'onn wasn't sure why he stayed sitting there, a few feet away from the girl, instead of growing uncomfortable and moving, like he usually did. Wasn't sure why he relaxed even more, as her eyes roamed over the page, fingers idly drumming on the table. The sound should have bothered him...

But it didn't.

He spent the next few hours pretending to read, watching her instead.

()

_A/n:Beta has come BACK from being MIA. and she's still just as awesome NOW as she was BEFORE! :squees: Oh and once again, the chick that J'onn's drooling over is NOT going to be a permanent character. She's actually going to be the main cause of a butload of angst and drama between Bruce and J'onn. Because as we all know by now, I just can't let those two simply fall in love like normal peeps and live happily ever after._

_Anyway, once again, my beta is the LOVELY ** A Lone Black Rose. **__And oh my GAWD before she attacked this chapter with her awesomeness it SUCKED. It just DID. And she made it like a gajllion times better. So HAHAHA!!!_


	23. Not Plans

Mars: An Elseworlds Story

Chapter 23

()

"I already said I was sorry!"

"You think that's good enough? You think it _changes _anything?!"

"Do you want me to take you home? Because I will--"

"Is that a _threat? _Is that how you _handle _things Jor--"

"No! It was just a question!"

"_Sure _it was--"

"Do you want to go home or not?!"

Bruce could hear Jor and Xish'ilh shouting before he even _neared _the House of El. Honestly, though, that wasn't really surprising; with the way they were going at it, he was pretty sure people from _Mars _could hear the heated argument. Xish'ilh's voice was high and shrill, still in the throes of puberty. Jor's, while certainly _louder _than the younger alien's, wasn't nearly as angry. Rather it was softer, filled with remorse and exasperation.

Both voices sounded raw, almost like they'd been going at it for hours. But that couldn't be the case. He'd only been out for thirty minutes, certainly no more than an hour...

Hadn't he?

"Going home won't change anything you m'nkte!"

"What? How is any of this MY fault?!"

"YOU KNEW!"

"I DIDN'T!"

Come to think of it, the human _had_ lost track of time as soon as he'd freed Ace from those _monsters_.

He paused outside the door, knowing he'd have to go inside and face them eventually, but after the shouting match he'd just participated in himself, he felt emotionally drained, and was unwilling to fight anymore. He didn't _want _to have to walk inside and put the others in their place simply because that's what they tended to _do_. People always to look to him as the median, the one with the plan and sometimes he just wanted to scream out that he wasn't impartial, that he wasn't always the neutral one, that he **didn't** _have a plan_.

He hated that word. _Plan_. It was mocking him. Like he was always in control when the truth couldn't be further from that. Truth was, he had about as much of an idea as the rest, but he just...seemed to know what to do with those ideas. Others saw things as hopeless and he simply refused to accept said hopelessness. It wasn't _genius _or _cunning_...It was simply him being a thickheaded, stubborn human being and refusing to take no for an answer.

He didn't _have_ plans. He just had _ideas_. And right now, his idea was that he had to somehow free the Zo'oks from their captivity. Bring them somewhere safe. Like Mars.

As to how he'd accomplish that.... Well....

Bruce really had no clue whatsoever.

No _plan_.

_.:Bruce no plan. No need plan. Bruce smart. Bruce brave! Bruce will know!:._

Well...at least Ace had faith in him... even if it was a bit blind.

()

"YOU KNEW AND YOU DID _NOTHING!_"

"I DIDN'T KNOW! Well, I _knew _but I didn't _know_--"

"It's your _planet _Jor! You can ramble on about how rich the soil is, why the color of the sky is such a hideous color--but you don't know what goes on in your own FAIR?!"

"I didn't _know--_"

"No. You didn't THINK! You didn't _think _that it'd be a problem! You didn't _think _we'd be going to the fair today so you just _assumed--_"

"SHUT UP! I DIDN'T KNOW!!"

()

_Why did I ever agree to come to this rock_?

Why indeed? What could have possib—oh. Right. Aje had first encouraged it, said that it would do him good to _broaden _his surroundings. Had made it sound interesting, like an adventure, even. Now Bruce was starting to really hate both his mentor, and all things Kryptonian. In just _three days_ he'd gotten shot at, discriminated against, threatened, had stolen and named a Zo'ok, and was now currently planning a rescue mission. In just THREE DAYS.

This was starting to turn into one rather large headache.

_It's not like Ma'aleca'andra is so much better, _his mind pointed out, infuriating in its logic. _When Aje found you, you were being chased and beaten daily. The teachers never did anything to help__, n__either did the librarian, or any others who saw you running. They'd mock__ you__ or give__ you__ stupid advice but they'd never...help. They didn't help you because you were human. Different. And they didn't help Xish'ilh because..._

_Because __he refused to leave your side, so they saw that as 'his own fault'... _

Krypton was even more advanced than Mars, but it was just as backwards socially, if not more so.

Bruce sighed, gathered his patience, then calmly walked into the House of El, following the sound of the two bickering idiots until he finally located them in the den area. Jor looked surprisingly small, with Xish'ilh towering over him. A remarkable feat, considering the height difference between them. Any other time he would have found the sight worth a snicker or two. However, as it was, Jor looked about ready to cry and Xish'ilh wasn't faring much better.

_.:Green One no like yell at Person. Why yell?:. _Ace asked, obviously confused.

_Because he's an idiot. He's angry so he's taking it out on Jor, _Bruce replied, shaking his head at his friend's stubbornness.

_.:Jor is who?:._

_Person is Jor._

_.:Is Persons all different?:. _

The human blinked, surprised that the simple-minded Zo'ok had managed to put that together. He hadn't been expecting it to be..._intelligent_.

_.: Is Ace wrong?:._

_No, you're right. Everyone is different. It's how we tell them apart. _

_.:So Green Ones is different too?:._

_Right. You're very...smart. I hadn't expected that._

Ace started doing that annoying rubbing-against-his-neck-whilst-purring thing, apparently deciding to take the phrase for the compliment it was, as opposed to an insult. Bruce didn't even know if Zo'oks were _capable _of anger, but his seemed to be smarter than most so...

"I SAID SHUT UP XISH'ILH!"

"MAKE ME YOU ARROGANT--"

"Enough!" Bruce snapped, realizing the two were _still _at it. They fell quiet, silently glaring at each other and blinking furiously, trying to hold back tears.

H'ronmeer, they were both such _idiots_. Shouting at each other so loudly, in such an immature way, even when it hurt both of them...

"Isn't it obvious that Jor's never been to the fair before?" he asked, deciding that it was best to get the air clear before starting on the _plan _he _didn't _have. The human took in Xish'ilh's surprised look and Jor's embarrassed face and wanted to bash his head in against a near-by wall. Why was _he _the one to always explain things? Why couldn't anyone _else _notice for once?

"It's not _that _obvious. Besides how could you know? We only went on one ride!" came Jor's indignant roar.

"You didn't know about the time limit on changing outfits. If you _had__,_chances are, you wouldn't have ended up...well..._you know_... And the whole fight with Nimda..."

"What the—I—you--YOUR FAULT—how did you even _know_--"

"Hand-shaped bruise on your face."

"It could have been Xi--"

"Not tall enough."

"He could have shifted a couple--"

"He's a puncher not a slapper."

"…I hate you."

Xish'ilh watched the exchange, eyes growing wider as the seconds passed and he processed just _what _they were saying. "That was your _first _time? But you're an El! I figured--"

"Yeah I know, I know!" the Kryptonian interrupted, face still a bright red. "I just...never had any friends to go with before. Nimda doesn't like the crowds and well...J'onn was always on Mars and...well...I didn't want to go alone and Zim would have just laughed at me so..."

There was dead silence, then the Martian said in a sickly-cute tone, "Awwwww so we're like...the first friends you've ever had?"

"Maybe...why? Why are you _looking _at me like that?!" Jor made to move away, only for Xish'ilh to latch onto him, a creepy grin on that green face. "That's so _cute! _In a really pathetic way!"

"Wh—get _off _me!"

"No WONDER you're such a socially inept retard!"

"I am NOT a socially—GET OFF ME!"

Bruce quirked an eyebrow at his friend and Xish'ilh let out a dramatic sigh. "Fine. I'm _sorry _I jumped to conclusions and almost made you cry. Happy?"

Ah well. That was as close of an apology as Jor was ever going to get.

"Sure! And I apologize for saying you had a crush on Bru--"

"Let's not get into specifics," Xish'ilh stated hastily, eyes darting away. He had to remember to watch the whole honesty thing. Sometimes it came back to bite him right in the...hey wait a minute...Was that really what he thought it was? Perched on Bruce's shoulder?

Without even asking, he plucked the little Zo'ok up and held it close to his chest, his mind automatically opening up to accept the Zo'ok's presence.

It wasn't what he'd been expecting.

He'd been told that a Zo'ok was suppose to meld right in, almost as if it belonged, that its thoughts were supposed to be low, like a humming noise, and soothing.

_.:Hi! Ace is Ace! Green one is who?:._

_...You have a name?_

_.:Yes. __**Ace**__ is __**Ace**__. Who is Green one?:._

The little thing actually sounded _annoyed _at having to repeat itself! How did it _know _to be annoyed? Better yet, how did it know to ask for his name? It wasn't supposed to be that smart...

_I'm Xish'ilh. Who gave you your name?_

_.:Bruce.:._

Looked over towards the human, who was looking a bit peeved and jealous at the moment. "You...named it?"

"I named _him_ and yes, I did. He insisted on it," Bruce added, "He grew all sad when I told him I couldn't name him."

Really? That was...different.

_.:Xi......Xish.....what is name?:._

Okay, forgetful. That sounded a bit more like a Zo'ok.

_Xish'ilh._

_.:Xish'ilh. Give back now.:._

What? Did that...did that thing just _order _him around?

_.:Want Bruce. Love Bruce. Bruce is nice. Smart. Brave. —why take Ace? Why? Ace love Bruce. Bruce love Ace. Bruce say so! Bruce kind! Give back. Givegivegivegivegive --:._

With a disgusted look, he shoved the little Zo'ok towards his friend, who looked kind of _pleased _at his reaction. "You two didn't get along, I take it?"

"How can you _stand _that? He's rude! And annoying! And loud!"

Blue eyes narrowed, flashing with irritation. "Ace isn't any of those things. He's just honest." Gave Ace a reassuring stroke, making soft cooing noises at it. "Aren't you Ace? And you're smart too!"

Xish'ilh felt his eye twitch. No. _No_. Bruce wasn't allowed to have something so annoying! Because most likely the Zo'ok would end up staying and it would _always _be there. And then Bruce would start to ignore him in favor of _Ace_. A stupid little Zo'ok. _No_.

"It's not normal!" he protested, waving his arms about wildly. "You can't keep it! It's annoying and _loud _and it's going to bug you constantly and you already leave me for—and you can't _keep _it, you're just a—No! Give it back!" It was hard to make a good argument when it could possibly end up either embarrassing him or pissing Bruce off...

Bruce stared at him for a few seconds, then a wicked _smirk_ started to curve his lips. "Xish'ilh are you _jealous _of Ace?"

"What? No! I just don't think you should--"

"Who's the social retard now?!" Jor crowed, reaching a hand out to gently prod Ace. The silverish form shifted away from his finger, as if dreading his touch. He could kind of understand that, considering what his people had...

"I swear I didn't know, Bruce," he stated softly. For some reason...it really mattered that the human believed him. He didn't really care about Xish'ilh, but Bruce...was different. Bruce was his _friend_.

There was no judging, no hatred on that deceptively young face. Just slight annoyance. "I _know_. You wouldn't have allowed it to go on if you had. You would have stopped it."

Really? Would he have? Because Jor honestly didn't believe that had circumstances been different...

Had he not met Bruce or J'onn...

He probably would have been amongst the crowd, laughing as he watched the Zo'ok's go flying around in the pen.

"Zim knew," Jor said weakly, "Zim didn't stop it."

"You're not Zim!" Xish'ilh exclaimed, "You're nowhere _near _as bad as that _m'nkte! _If he was _half _the Kryptonian you were he'd be ten times greater than he is now!"

Jor smiled ruefully. "I know. I get that a lot." The smile widened when Ace _finally _arched up into his touch. "Hah! What do you know? I guess I'm not Zim after all! So what's the plan?"

Bruce started to speak, (he didn't have a plan damnit! He didn't!) his mind silently going into overdrive as those words started to circle in the background. Sparking ideas, theories and _not-plans._

_If he was half the Kryptonian you were than he'd be ten times greater than he is now!_

_I know. I get that a lot._

_If he was half the Kryptonian you were..._

_I get that a lot..._

_Hmm._

()

Has been betad by my lovely beta A Lone Black Rose. And she is quite possibly the most awesome person in the history of freaking EVER. Along with my good friend, Kirai-Ninja. I use that girl like a cheap-french-prostitute and never does she complain! Bouncing plot ideas off each other, she really gets my juices flowing. And oh my GAWD you have GOT to read this article by my beta. She wrote it. It's called Batman vs Superman or something like that, and she makes such an awesome point you just find yourself nodding and going 'YEAH!' the whole entire time.

www. helium. com /items/ 1470474 -batman-vs-superman (check it out, no spaces, and if for some reason, decides to butcher the link, google b carroll batman vs superman, it's like the third link down, and it's a debate...and dude you have to read it because its practically dripping with awesome sauce! :squees:)


	24. Differences

Mars: An Elseworlds Story

Chapter 24

()

For those who care:

It is: 05:05:39, Airy Time Zone.

It is the 24th Sol of Sol Martis, of the year 212.

……That's Martian time for you. Just incase you were wondering.

If you ask for Kryptonian time…I just might cry.

And yes I used a converter. :flails: DON'T JUDGE ME!

()

Of course, when J'onn finally did return to the House of El, Bruce, Jor and Xish'ilh were in the middle of coming up with a plan to free the Zo'oks. That's what they said they were doing when he'd asked, anyway. What it actually _sounded _like was a bunch of name calling and arguments. No one asked him where he'd been for so long, all just assuming he'd needed time to cool down.

Which was partially true, in anycase. He _had _needed to get away for a while, to keep from doing anything rash. But one of the reason's he'd taken so long in returning was…

Because of _Her._

J'onn still didn't know her name. He just knew that whenever he was in her presence…he seemed to be at peace. No anger or hatred…just contentment.

Didn't dare to reveal anything about his trip though, and was grateful when no one asked. As ridiculous as it seemed….he didn't want to share _Her_. She was his and his alone, his only real secret, and he wasn't ready to share that.

Not just yet.

"_That's _your plan?" Jor exclaimed, his face twisted in disbelief. One hand was casually stroking a Zo'ok, one that was apparently named 'Ace'. "To blow up Krypton?! Really, Xish'ilh? _Really_?"

The young Martian scowled darkly. "What's wrong with my plan? It's brilliant!" He honestly didn't see anything wrong with ridding the galaxy of such a rotten planet. Nobody would miss it! Well, nobody important…Some of the tourists might get a bit moody at losing one of their favorite vacation spots but eventually, with time, they'd learn to move on to the next cheaply made money trap.

"If Krypton—what about—my—I can't—there's---BRUCE! EXPLAIN this to him PLEASE!" the Kryptonian found it hard to make his brain function around Xish'ilh most of the times, with all the unbelievable things that tended to come out of the young Martian's mouth.

Bruce, who was sitting on the floor, back against the wall, sighed, taking his glance off the ceiling long enough to glance at the two and say, "If anybody dies, we'll go to jail. Theft we can get away with. Murder, no. So if any of your plans involve killing, keep them to yourself."

Taking a seat next to his human friend, J'onn tried to fight back a smile. Something hard to do, especially with Jor's face turning colors… "That was a bit…crude, Bruce," he stated mildly, wondering what was so exciting about the ceiling. Why was it whenever Bruce was deep in thought, those blue eyes tended to drift there?

"Mmm."

Ahh. Bruce was reverting to the monosyllabic language of the brooders, which meant he was on the verge of an idea starting to assemble it like a complex puzzle in his mind. Realizing that the human would most likely be like that for the next few hours, he turned his attention to the others.

"You wouldn't _really _blow up Krypton, would you?" Jor's voice had a healthy dose of suspicion, unsure if the Martian had been joking or not.

Xish'ilh blinked, considered the question, then shrugged. "Yeah, if I thought I could get away with it."

Silence fell, only to be broken up by the sound of Jor's sputtering.

"I _really _don't like your planet, Jor." That was the only explanation the young alien gave.

J'onn fought to keep the grin off his face. It wasn't funny. It really **wasn't**. But the _look _of outrage on the Krytonian's face….

_Priceless._

Unfortunately, Jor saw the struggle that was taking place on J'onn's face. "You _agree _with him?!"

"What?" the Martian shifted, "No, of course not. Murder is wrong. I would never...no. Never."

Xish'ilh shot him a knowing look. "But _if _it was an option…?"

_Damn you_, J'onn shot half-heartedly. Truth was, a small, teeny-tiny part of him agreed with the young Martian. If Xish'ilh had found him a few hours ago, chances are he would have probably agreed vehemently with the 'blow up Krypton' plan. But now that he was thinking rationally…

"No, I still wouldn't."

A disbelieving snort from Xish'ilh. "Right, okay." He wasn't the only one with dark thoughts, he was just the only one with enough guts to admit it. Hmpf.

Seeing the little Zo'ok start to squirm, Jor handed it over to J'onn, before heading towards the kitchen to fix something to eat. Xish'ilh hopped up to help the Kryptonian and J'onn was left staring down at Ace, more than a bit uncomfortable.

Martians, when they came of age, went through a ritual. During that ritual, they were each given a Zo'ok, that would then be with them for the rest of their lives. J'onn had never really _held _a Zo'ok before. He hadn't even seen one at such a young age, either.

Zo'oks started off as plants. Then, over time, they'd evolve into small silverish forms, like Ace. That was only the second stage of their evolution. Their final stage, that was when a Zo'ok would tie it's life-form with that of its host and come into its shape-shifting abilities. J'onn had witnessed many rituals, and he'd always seen Zo'oks in the final stage. Never…this young.

_.:Hi! Ace is Ace. Bruce is quiet. Why quiet? Did Ace do bad? Who is Green One? Ace like Green One._ _Ace no like Xish'ilh._ _Xish'ilh_ _say annoying. Ace is smart! Bruce say so! Bruce is nice. Does Green One like Bruce?:._

And Ace…really liked to talk. A lot. Which was…interesting.

"_It's…nice to meet you…?"_

How was he supposed to talk to a Zo'ok? Should he—did it even—should he treat it like a child? Would it even understand complex sentences?

_.:Who is Green One?:. _Ace's voice had taken on a softer, quieter tone, as if sensing J'onn's discomfort. The consideration the little Zo'ok was showing both warmed and confused the Martian. Were…Zo'ok's supposed to be that smart at such a young age?

"_I'm…J'onn."_

_.:Ace is Ace! It is nice to meet J'onn!:._

Okay. There was no _way _this little creature was supposed to be able to pick up on things that quickly. No _way_. He mentally reached out, probing the little Zo'ok's mind. If there was something wrong with the creature, then J'onn needed to know. If the Kryptonians had done something it….though he didn't think it was possible, or that they'd even bother on a what they viewed to be lowly creatures.

"_Where did you get your name?"_

_.:Ace is Ace.:._

So it still had problems comprehending. More intelligent then most, but still quite naïve. J'onn couldn't _sense _anything wrong with Ace. No malicious intent, nothing hidden in its psyche. So what could explain…? It didn't make sense.

In the second stage of evolution, Zo'ok's required warm, tender emotions to develop properly. The ones that the Kryptonians held, would probably never pass their second stage mentally, due to all the abuse they'd been through. So how was it possible that Ace could form semi-intelligent sentences?

"_Who named you?"_

_.:Bruce!:._

His eyes sharpened onto his companion, who's eyes were still trained on the ceiling. "Bruce, did you name Ace?"

"Mmm."

"Bruce, answer me!" He gently nudged Bruce, aware that if he acted too harshly, the human's body might perceive him as a threat and act accordingly. J'onn had made that mistake in the past, and while nothing had been broken, and Bruce had apologized endlessly afterwards…it had still _hurt_.

Blue eyes finally focused on gold ones, and blinked as Ace was shoved under his nose. "Yeah, I gave Ace his name. What of it?"

"Did you _bond _with Ace?"

A blank look was his answer. J'onn groaned, fighting the urge to strangle the human. "Didn't you pay any attention in class?"

"I was never allowed in those classes, J'onn," came the mild reply, Bruce's long fingers gently playing with the Zo'ok. He'd move the slim digits this way and that, lips twitching everytime Ace pounced on them. J'onn's mouth fell open, no sound coming out. "Wh-what? They can't exclude you from classes!"

Bruce gave him a disbelieving stare. "They do it all the time."

"What?!"

"Yeah. Some subjects I'm not allowed in. They don't think a human's mind can comprehend them. Have you looked at my marks?" Bruce added ruefully, "They're probably right." Upon seeing the distraught look on his friend's face, he straightened up, fingers slowing in their playful motions. "Hey, I didn't say it to upset you. I thought you knew." It was something that had made him feel even more like an outsider, as he was forced to sit outside on some classes.

There was no _need _for him to learn about their rituals, Gods or customs, because he was just a _human, _unable to understand the Martian way. He'd been so angry… But no one seemed to understand why. Even Xish'ilh had looked at him with such a confused look when Bruce had asked what the classes were about.

"_Why do you care? You're a human. It doesn't really apply to you. Anyway, I'm not sure you'd be able to understand all of it."_

So what he'd usually end up doing, when one of those classes came up, was go to the Aqi, and read all that he could on the subject that was being taught. The books and discs never went into a lot of detail, never gave him enough information to quench his thirst for knowledge, but it was all he could do. Aje didn't know anything about Martian Culture, so he was just as clueless as Bruce. Everyone acted like it was such a normal thing…

It never occurred to him that J'onn might not know.

"No..I-I didn't know. I just thought..I just assumed…" J'onn's head fell against the wall, struggling to take it all in.

"_Bruce, you're human. There's limits to what you can do!"_

"_Can its stomach __**handle **__our food?"_

"_I'm was never allowed in those classes, J'onn."_

Being rejected constantly, forced to sit outside classes, having to fight off bullies, the condescending looks, the harsh remarks; All the things that followed the title _Human_.

For the first time, J'onn finally understood just what Bruce had to go through.

"_It's okay, to be human Bruce. It's what you are. There's nothing __**wrong **__with that."_

"_I am just as good as any Martian. And I __**will **__prove it."_

J'onn swallowed thickly; now he understood why Bruce strove so hard to prove himself.

"It'll never work," he whispered, feeling his lip quiver with emotion. "They'll never accept you. They'll always see you as just a human."

"I know," Bruce stated quietly, painfully acknowledging that fact. "But I have to try."

_Time to change the subject._ Bruce gave Ace a little nudge. "So you can bond with Zo'oks, huh?"

Clearing his throat, J'onn made a mental note to talk to Naculh about it later. "Yes. They kind of…borrow energy from its host, to sustain itself. Zo'ok's are said to be created by the Gods for the soul purposes of serving as a companion for Martians. Normally, when a Martian names a Zo'ok, they bond. However….usually the Zo'ok has to be in the third and final stage of its evolution. Ace is in his second. Combine it with the fact that you're human—" Bruce noticed the flinch and silently cursed himself for confiding in J'onn.

He didn't need nor want the Martian's pity.

"—Well I'm not sure how that would work. Ace is…smart. And he's learning very quickly. Almost frighteningly so."

Bruce frowned thoughtfully, then shook his head. "I don't feel anything leaking out from my shields."

"There are different types of telepathy, Bruce," J'onn explained patiently, voice soft and still in full lecture mode. Not for the first time, Bruce thought that his friend would make an excellent Bivnor. He had a way of explaining things… "It's possible that you can't detect the Zo'ok's presence. It's very…subtle. I could look if you want?" He'd actually expected Bruce to reject the thought, and was surprised when the human shrugged, "Sure."

He didn't bother to ask a second time, knowing it would just aggravate his friend. So J'onn closed his eyes and dove in, the Monster calmly following after him.

_They walked along different pathways and rivers, somewhere along the way, the Monster morphing into Bruce. J'onn didn't even know where to begin searching, so it took quite some time, until they both cocked their heads to the side._

"_You hear that?" he asked Bruce, who nodded. _

_Humming._

_Soft, gentle sounds that vibrated the air the closer they got to the source, and when they finally neared it, they could make out Ace's childish voice. Singing._

_Nonsense words, or in a tongue that was foreign to both Martian and human. But the emotion behind the song was quite plain._

_Love._ _Happiness._ _Curiosity._

_Bruce peeked around the corner and __smiled; there__ was a large, pulsing flower, floating in mid-air, its roots deeply ingrained in the floors of his mind. It should have been painful, the intrusion, but it only felt…right. __He w__alked up and ran his fingers along the surface of one of the petal; kind of slippery, but not slimy. Upon feeling the human's touch, Ace's voice echoed out, .:Bruce! It is pleasure to feel!:._

"_H'ronmeer…" J'onn breathed out, taking in how deeply the roots ran. "He's leeching off your knowledge. Absorbing it._ _Digesting it." It was taking the Zo'ok a while to do so, most likely due to its young age. _

"_He seems happy," Bruce noted, smirking when Ace chirped in agreement. _

_.:Ace love Bruce! Lovelovelovelovelove —:._

"_Okay that's enough," J'onn cut it off sharply, surprised that Bruce hadn't beat him to the punch. Looked over and could see the almost wistful expression on his face. "Doesn't it bother you when Ace does that?"_

_Bruce noticed that J'onn didn't call the Zo'ok_ _**It**__. "It's nice, hearing it after so long," he shifted, face a bit flushed embarrassingly. "I haven't heard it in a long time."_

_J'onn's features morphed into one of understanding and sympathy, which quickly turned to alarm as he was suddenly thrown out of Bruce's mind. _

"That's enough, J'onn," Bruce stated, tone bitter. He got up and stretched, then plucked Ace from J'onn's nimble hands. "I don't need you pitying me. It doesn't change anything. That's why I—…" He fell silent, breathing harshly through his nose. _That's why I stopped telling you things, _he'd nearly said. Luckily he'd stopped himself in time. He wasn't like Xish'ilh; he knew the difference between telling the truth and just being cruel.

Instead, Bruce offered his hand down to his friend. "I'm starving. What about you?"

Golden eyes peered into his and he fought back a scowl, hating that they seemed to be able to see right through his façade. Fortunately, J'onn was willing to put it aside for now. "Sure." The Martian grasped the pale hand and pulled, shocked at how easily Bruce pulled him into a standing position.

_He's getting stronger….growing up…_

Soon he'd be old enough to start searching for a suitable mate.

Only…

Who would want to mate with a human? There was no one J'onn could think of, that would willingly look past that. They heard _human _and immediately thought of those creatures on Earth, in their little huts…sleeping on the dirt…Like wild animals….

_So is he just…destined to remain alone…for all of eternity? Never finding a mate…starting a family…? _His stomach curled.

Having to suffer discrimination…for the rest of his life…all alone…never being able to share it with someone…

_He would have been better off dead, _J'onn's treacherous mind whispered.

()

Zim hadn't been aware he'd zoned out, until he heard the sound of footsteps approaching. His mind nudged him into awareness, automatically running over his body, checking for injuries; nothing too concerning. The nerve-attack Bruce had landed hadn't been that swift; it had been aimed at temporary paralysis, not permanent. His mind dimly registered the damp moisture of the morning soaking into his clothes and he groaned. He _hated _wet clothes.

The way they clung to his body….rubbing against his skin, creating rashes…. _Ugh_.

He recognized the footsteps, but stayed where he was, not ready to move just yet. He was quite comfortable, wet clothes and all. Didn't feel any emotion… Just pleasantly numb. So when Bruce finally appeared, stupid Zo'ok on shoulder and all, he merely grunted and closed his eyes again. "What? Come to rub it in?"

Bruce crouched down, peering at him with sharp _human _eyes.

Silence.

"Do you know how to get into their campground?" he asked after several minutes, and _that _got Zim to shoot straight up into a sitting position, raw nerves screaming in outrage.

"_What_?" Was the human seriously _asking _for his help? After the whole little _fight_ that had just—Was he _really _that—"I think you have me confused with my idiotic brother."

He wasn't Jor, wasn't bright, like Jor, couldn't see the good in everything like his perfect brother. He was more selfish, never one to immediately lend out a helping hand to anyone in danger. It was _hard _for Zim to be nice. That was the purpose of Nightwing. Nightwing didn't have to think. He just _knew_ what was right and wrong.

"You're _nothing_ like Jor." The frank, upfront way Bruce said those words…

As if it didn't _matter_.

Zim felt his throat start to close up and forced a scowl to his face. "I—I'm not like him. I'm _not_."

"I know." The words were spoken patiently, as if prepared to repeat them as much as necessary.

"I can't…I can't be bright like he can. I can't give things away—I don't like volunteering and helping others and I'm selfish and…" Why couldn't he stop talking? Why was he admitting all this to a _human _**child** of all people?!

It was those eyes. Those blue orbs…staring into his…non-judging, unassuming… As if it didn't _matter _that he wasn't anything like Jor-El, the first Son…who casted such a large shadow…One that he could never seem to get out of.

"I-I-I don't like to share and I say cruel things to strangers and to people I've known for years. I don't have his sense of humor or fair play or…his _charming personality_."

"_Why can't you be more like Jor-El?"_

"_Jor-El is always volunteering. Don't you ever want to go out and help others like that?"_

"_Jor-El would have found that funny."_

"_Jor-El can cook quite splendidly."_

"_Jor-El has quite the charming personality, doesn't he?"_

"_You must be so proud of your brother! To be related to such a person! What's it like?"_

"_Aren't you Jor-El's brother?"_

"You're nothing like Jor," Bruce repeated, breaking up Zim's thoughts. "And that's okay."

Never, had anyone ever spoken those words to him. That it was _okay _to step out of the shadow, and be his own person. That he didn't _have _to be like Jor-El. That they understood...and accepted, that he never could be.

Zim breathed in deeply, exhaling, reveling in the sensation those words brought him.

He felt…

_Free_.

"What'd you name it?" he asked, jerking his head at the Zo'ok. He took in the sheepish look on Bruce's face and knew his haunch was right. Of course he'd name it.

"Ace. His name is Ace."

"What kind of a name is Ace?"

"What kind of a name is Zim?"

His eyes narrowed, then he took in the mischievous glint in those eyes and relaxed. "I get it. That's a joke."

"Maybe."

Zim rolled his eyes. "Look, even if I did know how to get in—"

"Which you do," Bruce interrupted wryly.

"_Fine_, which I do, it's dangerous. The Martians will be the first they suspect. Which means—"

"We have to be smart," the human nodded, then stood up. "Okay…let's head back to your house. We can plan better there. Maybe now we'll finally get somewhere."

Annoyance seeped into his voice and Zim smirked as he followed after Bruce, albeit at a slower, stiffer, pace. "Why do you need my help?"

He knew the answer, but wanted to hear it anyway. "Jor isn't the type for planning. He lacks…"

"Intelligence?"

"I was going to say tact, but that works too."

()

**Finally **got around to replacing the chapter with the correct version and might I add, it feels good because my beta is pure awesome-sauce and it hurt me knowing that her work wasn't being shown. Once again, A Lone Black Rose (why do I keep on wanting to type love? Damn keyboard..) And she's awesome and wonderful and you can't have her, cause she's mine. So NYAHAHAHAHA!


	25. Ejan's Tears

Mars: An Elseworlds Story

Chapter 25

()

For the first time in ages, the den in the House of El, actually looked..._lived in_.

Usually, it was pristine, silence so thick and suffocating that no one really _bothered _with it. The Den was usually for family get togethers and Ejan had noticed a long time ago...that her children were not as close as they used to be.

Zim was always off somewhere, doing shady things with shady people. Jor was usually off with Nimda, or traveling along the universe. And Kayla...well... Ejan truthfully had no idea what her middle daughter was up to. They didn't exactly _talk _anymore. Oh she'd try but...she'd always get such a blank stare...

And as the years passed and the Den stayed empty, Ejan started to avoid the room as well. It held too many memories of what _once _was.

However, today was not the case as she leaned her head in the den and saw how _unsightly _the room had become.

Furniture had been moved around at odd angles, some pushed up against the wall, to create more space for the small crowd that had gathered. Papers, disks and small machines littered the floor and table, small holographic images hovering in midair.

And the _noise_...

Xi-something or other was lounging lazily on one of the couches, pointing at something on one of the holo-screens and asking Nimda a question. Jor's finance was sitting down next to the couch, cuddling something silverish and talking rapidly, eyes alight with excitement. Jor himself was kneeling in front of the table, arms waving about and face changing colors. No doubt the cause was his brother, Zim, who was crouched on the other side of the table, rolling his eyes. J'onn was gesturing wildly with his hands, explaining something to the _human,_who was nodding and making little notes on one of the papers.

They were steadily getting louder and rowdier as time went on, probably due to the different personalities that were all present. She _should _have said something, made them quiet down, or move to a different wing of the house, to where they wouldn't bother her.

Instead, she headed towards the kitchen to prepare them something to eat.

It had been so _long _since Ejan had prepared a meal that for a moment she just stood there, taking in how _huge _her kitchen was, wondering just where she was supposed to start. She remembered banning her servants from the kitchen because they kept reorganizing things and messing up the system she'd developed. Now though...now she couldn't even recall what said system _was_. Sighing, she rang for one of the servants, reasoning that it was the thought that counted.

Even if it _would _have been nice... To just pretend...

One of them appeared, a much older woman (used to be she could recall their names...now they were faceless _objects _she ordered around...), staring at her with such _disdain_. Usually Ejan was able to look past it and just demand what she wanted but for some reason her voice had left her. Laughter resonated from the den and Ejan jumped, so unused to the sound.

"It's been quite some time since we've heard that, hasn't it?" The words slipped out before she was even aware of it happening. The woman's eyes softened towards her and suddenly it felt this was all a dream, and she wasn't a bitter, lonely mistress, who's husband was always away, kids drifting off, wanting nothing to do with her.

She was Ejan, who's house always shone bright, filled with light, servants were happy and _pleased _to work under her, and she was a proud mother of three beautiful _happy _children. Children who laughed, who brought home stray animals, always looking to help others, always coming up with _plans _to rescue something or other.

"I was wondering, ah...Deana? If you could tell me where the pots are?" And she _asked _for help, instead of demanding it, because time had shifted backwards, and for the first time in a long one, things felt peaceful, felt right and Ejan didn't want to let go of the illusion just yet.

_Deana _nodded her head in the direction of the pots and Ejan walked forward, realizing that the pots were in the same place she had instructed them to be, all those years ago. Following a hunch, she opened a cabinet, hand resting on the plates and bowls that were resting inside it. "Imagine that."

A crash echoed throughout the house and Ejan let out a surprised shriek, covering it up with a hand over her mouth, as she sunk down to the floor, shoulders shaking. Her world was growing dim, it becoming harder to breathe as she realized no time _hadn't _reversed, this was real and any second now...

"_Awww man! Mom's gonna kill us! Why'd you throw that at me anyway?!"_

"_Because your face was just asking for it!"_

"_I didn't ASK you and that's not a good enough reason to nearly kill me Xish'ilh!"_

"_No, but it's the **honest **reason--"_

"_I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"_

_It's me, _Ejan's mind whispered with startling clarity, _I'm the one that changed. I'm the one who_..._broke everything. After that day....seeing **them **together..._

When she'd first found out about the affair, it had felt like she was shattering into a several little pieces. Like she'd been dying, as she looked into her husband's eyes and had whispered, _"Do you want us to separate?"_

And he had looked at her with such **disgust**.. _"Don't be stupid, Ejan. Do you have any idea how that would make the House look?"_

And so she had stayed, thinking that maybe it was her. Maybe she hadn't been enough. Maybe she'd smiled too much or spent too much time with the kids... And in her desperation to hold onto something that she'd lost a long time ago, she'd turned a blind eye to her children.

_Kayla_....She should have been there. Should have comforted her, talked to her about it, make her understand... Should have stopped Zim from becoming so **angry**... Should have been with Jor when reality had slapped him in the face, and he'd been betrayed by those he thought were _friends_ but in truth had only wanted to use him.

Instead, she'd buried her heart into a mound of ice, because feeling hurt too much and she couldn't afford to break anymore, not when the walls were closing in and she was so terribly close to the edge...

The tears were steadily trailing, stopping up her nose and blotching her face, all very unbecoming things but since when did she _care_? When did she start to care so much about _appearances _and _keeping face_?

"I-I broke it...I broke it I broke it I broke it..." Wasn't aware of rocking back and forth, muttering wildly to herself like a mad person. Wasn't aware of arms closing around her, or the soft 'shhhh' sounds that were spoken quietly into her ear. Was only _aware _of Deana's strong, dry voice murmuring,

"You let it out, Ej. You _cry_, til you can't cry no more."

And so she did.

()

Deana never hated Ejan.

She'd been with the House of El ever since she was a young girl, and she'd watch as generations of Els passed through. They were all cold, with their distant gazes and haughty sneers. Still, the Els had done so much for Krypton, it was considered an honor to serve under them. Only the very best were allowed to. However, that didn't mean they _liked _the Els, no it just meant that they liked what the Els stood for. What they had accomplished.

It wasn't until Ejan Lum-Du had first graced the halls of El that Deana had started to _like _her employers. The Mistress had been...truly a sight to behold. It seemed like she radiated inner peace and sunshine, eyes glistening with love and adoration for Ndar-El. And she'd walk the streets of commoners, visiting the markets and stalls to buy her own ingredients to cook her own food.

She had been the first to actually _talk _to the servants and maids, and would sometimes stay up half the night with them, telling wild tales and jokes, the House seeming to vibrate with laughter. Ndar had stood in the corner somewhere, never really participating but there had been a gentle _look _on his face. One of almost happiness. And Deana remembered looking back and forth between them and thinking, _yes, this is what the House needs_.

The children, oh how the House had always seemed a mess when they were young. Animals all over the place, yelling, shrieking and laughter ringing through, and always, the sound of pitter-pattering footsteps as the siblings chased each other through out the halls. Ndar was had cherished little Kayla, and was often seen lugging her about, showing her off to everyone, even strangers. It was uncommon, for Jor was to be the one to inherit the House, so custom dictated that he should favor the boy, but Kayla had been the first female born in quite some time, and he'd always dreamed of having a daughter.

Jor and Zim had stuck together like glue, always getting into mischief together. The oldest boy would always take the fall though, even though most of the ideas came from the younger one. They were so cute, with their smirky-grins and smoldering eyes....

Ejan, Ejan was always running after all four of them, somehow managing to make time for each of them, in different ways. She'd spend each night downstairs, in the kitchens, relaxing with a cup of her favorite drink.

"_I'm so tired," _she'd say, laughingly, _"But it's a good kind of tired. Three little rascals and a mischievous husband...they run me ragged, but I wouldn't change them for the world."_

Time had passed, though. People changed. _Ndar _had changed. Becoming this angry...cold, **thing. **Always away, ignoring his duties, doing Rao knew what and when news about the affair had broken out... something in the Mistress had died that day. Because unlike some, who wanted Ndar for his power, looks or wealth... Ejan had really _loved _him. Deana had waited for it. She'd waited for the tears from the Mistress to flow, the anguish to come out...

Only it never did. Instead, Ejan had wrapped her heart in such iciness...almost like she'd become a carbon copy of Ndar, in a sick effort to please him, one that was never noticed... And how the children suffered for it. How they mourned, in their own ways.

Jor had started spending more time away from the House, drifting further and further into the Universe, his time away increasing with each trip...

Kayla had started to become more withdrawn. She didn't associate with anyone from the House at all, and to this day, the servants had no idea if she still resided in the House or if she just came by for visits.

Zim had become.....angry. And resentful, very much so. He snuck out constantly, probably getting into trouble and got into more fights with Jor and Ejan than ever before. It was like he'd forgotten how to be nice.

The family was broken, desperately hanging together by some hideous form of loyalty when....

_They _showed up, courtesy of Jor.

J'onn and Xish'ilh, the Martians...and Bruce.

The strange _human _with mind-powers and....very loud nightmares.

Deana personally didn't care about the human part. She was a servant, maybe not as low as a slave, but certainly not in any position to be looking down upon anyone. The mind-powers thing was interesting, and perhaps more than a bit alarming, but she just _knew _that Bruce wouldn't attack her in anyway. Especially after hearing about his nightmares from one of the other servants.

Someone who felt that passionately, wasn't a monster.

No, Bruce was just a kid. A special, _human _kid, but a kid nonetheless.

It had only been three days, but already things had been shaken up by the appearance of those three. Jor had been banned from Dandahu Park (they all knew why, and had privately howled and giggled hysterically upon finding out...), then they'd found out about the um.....Zooks? And after a very loud argument, were now coming up with a _plan_ to free the little things.

She didn't really see the need to go through all that trouble for things that apparently couldn't feel anything but it wasn't her place to interfere, or judge. No, she'd been in the process of retiring for the night when she'd heard the annoying _ring _coming from the kitchen. All the children (Deana didn't care how old Jor got, he'd always be a little boy to her) were in the Den, and Kayla wouldn't dare call for them, so that left the Mistress.

Had appeared, mentally preparing herself for another bout of shrewd orders, and instead had seen a glimpse of the old Ejan leak through. Then there'd been a loud bang and...finally, _finally_....

Deana got the tears she'd been waiting, hoping for. With a tender, mothering air about her, she wrapped the young mistress in a tight embrace, and just held her. "You let it out, Ej. You _cry_ til you can't cry no more."

Hopefully once the tears spilled forth, the real healing could begin.

()

Bruce leaned back in his bed, idly looking up at the ceiling with a bored look on his face. Any minute now, Zim would be sneaking out of the House of El, to go and enter the compound on his own. Jor would, of course, be up to the same idea, and they'd bump into each other and grimly agree to team up, and rescue the Zo'oks.

The two of them thought so much alike it was kind of frightening, really. Only, neither wanted to admit it. The only difference was, Zim tended to be more sneaky and Jor more loud...so with the two combined, they'd end up getting caught and most likely thrown in the compound's prison, to be dealt with quite harshly. Or ransomed back to the House.

This was, of course, all merely a theory and Bruce wasn't one hundred percent sure that they'd follow his little 'monologue' that he had going inside his brain, but most likely, they would, and if they _weren't _then why hadn't they come upstairs to 'wake them up' by now? Why had he heard the faint sound of two voices bickering with each other not that long ago?

Because he was right, that's why.

Xish'ilh rolled over, letting out an annoyed huff. "Okay, you called it. They ditched us."

Ditched.

Hmm...

Probably should have hurt a lot more than it did, but seeing how they'd sensed it coming, they were able to brace themselves for the faint taste of betrayal that the word brought them.

"They probably think they're doing us a favor," Bruce intoned wryly, going through his small stack of clothing and picking out what would be best to wear. "We're nothing but innocent little k'nikas who can't find our own way out of a tresn'l." Mmm....something lose, to allow fast movement, but not too lose to get caught on latches and wh—ooooo, that would work.

The young martian snickered, sitting up and stretching. "It's going to be so much fun, having to go in and rescue them _along _with the Zo'oks."

"Now now, just because I called the ditch, doesn't mean that they'll get caught. For all we know, they could work really well together and be in and out in no time!"

()

"I can't see."

"I wonder _why_."

"It's because there's a blindfold over my--"

"Sarcasm, Jor. Sarcasm."

"Oh."

"....."

"Well?"

"Well _what _Jor?"

"Can _you _see?"

"No."

"Oh."

"......"

"...Why not?"

"Why do you _think_ Jor?!"

"....Oh."

"Stop SAYING that."

"You're **not** the boss of me."

"Just shut up."

"Why are you so mean?"

"Because you GOT US CAUGHT! AND YOU RUINED THE MISSION!"

"Me?! You're the one that SCREAMED like a little--"

"BECAUSE YOU TACKLED ME YOU IDIOT!"

"I saved your life!"

"From what?!"

"There was a little...flying....thing."

"_What_?"

"......You know. The kind you're allergic to?"

":**groan**: Jor, that's not me! That's Kayla."

"Oh."

"....:sigh: But thanks, I guess."

"....D-did I re-really ruin th-the whole mission?"

"..No. I was planning on getting caught anyway."

"R-really?"

"Sure, why not?"

"Pro-oo-mise?"

"Yes. Now stop crying."

"M'not!"

"Of course you're not."

()

I'm soooo unhappy with this chapter it's shameful. It's soooo boring and rambling and just _ugg_. You'll find out where J'onn went in the next one, or the one after that. I haven't been able to write because I'm tutoring this little girl. She got her first B ever in reading because of _me_. And her math? Got raised from an F to a C. Because of _me_. AND she got student of the week!

It's just a....a really good feeling, you know? It's like this proud, pure, feeling of joy and giddiness washes over you, and you think, 'wow, _I _helped her do that. Wow.' and it's sooo addictive and I don't really understand what I do because I don't _do _anything, really. I go over her homework with her, and her vocab and spelling words....I read to her, ….and....help her with....okay, now that I'm writing it all out it DOES sound like a bit much doesn't it? But it just doesn't feel that way. I mean she's so awesome. She's like this little spunky little ball of nothing but freaking ENERGY. And she's terribly smart, but just because she didn't _catch on _right away, the school wanted to write her off as mentally challenged. I have nothing against the mentally challenged but it wasn't her! It was the teacher!

There's so many timed tests, and all that pressure, it makes her confused and scared and she messes up. Add on the fact that her teacher is an idiot (we had words over how Math multiplication should be done..) and she isn't even certified to teach! I swear....and she's so mean to the little girl, always yelling at her....and I just want to strangle the teacher soooo bad.

But she made student of the week and...it just....her face. You guys shoulda seen it. Anyway, look at me, treating this stupid little authors note like a blog, ya know? But I dunno... :shrugs: I feel like I'm closer to my readers than I am to most of the people I interact with. I'll stop rambling and end this already.

Again, on another note, **unbetad**. She'd probably make this chapter like ten times more awesome....sorry guys. I know its rambling and all that, but I felt it was needed, ya know? Can't have action all the time....


	26. Greatest Moment of Xish'ilh's Life

They'd been in here for so long that Iykcu had forgotten what the sky on his homeplanet looked like. And even though others would say that it wasn't HIS homeplanet, and he shouldn't feel crushed that he couldn't recall the sweet smell of the ocean... Iykcu felt that he'd failed his bondmate. Especially as the sols passed and he started to lose the memory of her voice...

It was supposed to be a regular trade meeting with off-worlders. How did it end up like this?

Members of his clan (they're not yours, his mind snarled harshly), in cages, talking shrilly to each other, trying to keep the pain and humiliation at bay.

All except him.

Tried not to show that he was just as scared as they were, that he could really use their presence in his mind... Because they would never bring him in their inner circle. He didn't **belong**.

And he never would.

So he tried to enjoy the peace, what little of it he had left before THEY came back and started in on those stupid shoker thingies. Only he didn't want peace. He wanted...

To be able to **feel**. Now more than ever.

Instead of this...emptiness that always ate at his being, a place that even his bonded couldn't fill.

Just another night, he thought to himself blearily, color fading several shades as he resigned himself to this fate of..

Nothingness.

()

It was after another long day of torture, loneliness and depression when he'd seen THEM.

Of course, it was hard to miss the two that came crashing through the ceiling, landing harshly on the two slavers that had been torturing one of his _(no, they're not)_ clan members. Debris went flying, sending up a cloud of dust throughout the filthy room, and when Iykcu got a good look at them, he felt his insides freeze, as he broke out of the haze of depression and managed to feel something.

Disbelief.

Alarm.

Fear.

Younglings. One green and the other shaped a bit like the two slavers, but smaller and scrawny. They were probably looking for adventure, and had no idea what they'd just gotten themselves into. The others were shrilling warnings to them, to get the younglings to leave before they were discovered--they looked barely over a decade old! Much too young to be subject to this type of life...

Only they either didn't seem to realize their warnings, or care, as they became aware that they weren't alone.

Instead of running away, the smaller one began to examine the cages. Iykcu felt his frustration grow. Surely he wasn't thinking what he _thought _the youngling to be thinking!

"Bruce if this is the biggest room and it doesn't hold the Zo'oks...then this is going to be such a pain."

What? Zo'oks?

_Martian pets, _his mind supplied helpfully, _Green one's probably Martian. The smaller one...too slim to be Kryptonian. Maybe a Runt? Do they have those here?_

"Hand me the tools," the runt murmured, and Iykcu was unable to keep from shrinking back as it peered into his own cage. Upon seeing this, the runt's eyes seemed to darken, as if in anger. Iykcu didn't understand; the runt obviously didn't know what they were, or else he wouldn't be helping...so why did he care?

The green one let out a frustrated noise. "We don't have time for this!"

Runt turned to glare at Greenie, and Iykcu marveled at the level of animosity he could _see _rising off the small thing. "I'm not leaving them like this. Tools, now."

Greenie scowled and handed over the requested items. "They most likely can't feel pain, they're floating balls of LIGHT, Bruce! LIGHT! That's not NORMAL!"

Iykcu felt himself bristle, along with many others. Of COURSE they were able to feel pain--and they were NOT floating balls of light! They were swirling with the energy of the universe, completely one with it's essence. Light was primitive compared to them! Runt's lips twitched in what Iykcu recognized as humor. "I don't think they appreciated that comment."

"I don't CARE! How are we supposed to save these things, the Zo'oks, Zim, Jor AND manage to leave out of here in one piece?! This isn't how the plan went!"

Those amazing blue eyes moved in a circular motion, one that Iykcu took to mean annoyance, evident in the way Runt said, "Xish'ilh, I've told you before--"

"Just because you don't believe in plans doesn't give you the right to throw them away!" Greenie was starting to tremble with rage, and Iykcu just managed to shrill out a warning before it lunged at Runt.

Even though it felt like a private moment between the two, he couldn't look away.

()

Bruce let out a muffled curse as his senses kicked in and he suddenly dropped to the floor. He flipped onto his back, just in time to block...Xish'ilh's kick? It was enough to make his mind falter slightly, only his body then procceeded to go into auto pilot and before he knew it, they were going back and forth. Not sparing, no this was actual _fighting_.

He was fighting Xish'ilh.

Who was aiming to _hurt _him, evident from how much force he was putting into his punches and kicks.

Saw Xish'ilh's angry eyes and decided that enough was enough. He dropped his fighting stance and waited until the Martian was fully commited to his next move and quickly shifted out of the way, leaving his foot out just enough to trip his friend up.

Down he went, and Bruce growled when Xish'ilh was up again in less than five seconds, still not ready to stop. "What's wrong with you?!"

Xish'ilh fought the impulse to gawk. "What's _wrong _with me?! Are you mjr--"

"_**Don't **_call me that." The air around the human quickly changed from exasperated to enraged, and Xish'ilh dropped his gaze, knowing that particular word brought up painful memories. Only he didn't want to feel ashamed or sorry because this wasn't his fault. "We're supposed to save the Zo'oks, and Zim and Jor--if they need it! That's it! That was the plan!" Why couldn't Bruce see that?! Why did he always get it in his head that he had to be some big hero? Why couldn't he just leave well enough alone?

"I can't leave them here, Xish'ilh," Bruce stated flatly, "I'm not _you_."

The Martian wasn't even aware he'd punched his friend until his hand was throbbing painfully, and Bruce was on the dirty ground. Was prepared for a counter-attack as the human slowly got to his feet and was enraged when he turned back to the cages, _dismissing him_.

As if he didn't _matter_.

"If you want to save the _universe_ Bruce," Xish'ilh spat, desperately needing those eyes to focus on him. "Go right ahead. But don't blame others who don't see any point in doing so." And finally the human did turn around, and was looking at him with such a haunted look in those beautiful orbs. "Have you ever had your whole world destroyed, Xish'ilh?"

The Martian swallowed tightly, hating that _tone_.

It sounded dark and full of agony, whispering to his mind of things that nightmares were made of. Dropping his tools, Bruce stalked closer, taking one step for every haunted sentence that spilled from his lips.

"Do you know what it's like?"

_Step. _

"To have it taken from you?"

_Step. _

"In one moment, to have your whole world shattered.."

_Step._

"Into so many pieces you know you'll never be whole again?"

_Step._

"I do."

And he was there, standing so close, with such a _look _in those eyes, that it made Xish'ilh's skin crawl and he had to fight the impulse to shove Bruce away. Yet this wasn't the Bruce he knew; this was darker, more twisted and he kept waiting for a spark, a twitch of lips to show that this was all a horrible joke, only it never came and for the first time, he wondered just _what _had happened before Bruce came to Mars.

Xish'ilh couldn't find it in himself to be disgusted at this darker side, no he was enthralled, mesmerized and wanted to know more, so badly that he felt his fingers twitch with the urge to grab hold and peel back the layers until there was nothing left and the mystery was solved.

"Now you listen here, _Xish'ilh_," Bruce's voice was deceptively soft, barely above a whisper, and the Martian couldn't have stopped listening even if he'd wanted to. He was caught in Bruce's strange web of darkness and he was powerless to escape. "If you want to leave the damned to survive on their own, that's fine." Eyes flashed, as if disagreeing to what their owner was stating. "But don't you _dare _suggest that I do the same. Because I never will. Got it?"

And he found himself nodding, even though he thought he'd long lost all functioning of his motor skills.

Satisfied, Bruce turned away, picked up the tools and began work on freeing the first captive. "Now, either help or leave. I've wasted enough time on you."

It should have stung, that cold clinical tone, but it _didn't_, it only served to captivate him further. So he quietly pulled out his own instruments and began working on springing the stupid floaty creatures, mentally going over the conversation that had just taken place.

()

Bruce kept his back turned away from Xish'ilh, not wanting the Martian to see just how badly his hands were shaking. Enough so that it took him three times as long to disable the locking mechanism than normal. Once the cage had fallen open, the floating-universe-essence-thing head-butted his hand. The reaction reminded him a bit of Ace, and he wished that he hadn't had to leave the little Zo'ok back at the El's.

He could have really used Ace's purr against his neck right about now. Then again, seeing how he'd just scared Xish'ilh, maybe it was good that the Zo'ok hadn't been there to witness the _Monster _coming out.

_"ARE YOU INJURED?"_

The loud screeching voice in his head had Bruce jerking away from Ball-guy, fighting the impulse to cover his ears. _"You don't have to shout."_

_"APOLOGIES. OUR TELEPATHY IS OF A DIFFERENT SORT FROM YOURS."_

Great. That meant there was nothing that could be done about the volume. He was going to have such a headache by the time the night was over.. _"You got a name?" _he grouched as he turned to another cage. His jaw throbbed painfully, telling him that Xish'ilh had indeed done some damage when he'd slugged him.

_"DO YOU KNOW WHAT WE ARE?"_

Why was it talking? Couldn't it sense that conversation just wasn't something Bruce was enthusiastic about right now? _"No." _

_"THEN WHY ARE YOU HELPING US?"_

There was that **question **again. _Why_. He hated that word. Did it matter why he chose to save them? Couldn't they just accept it? Why did they have to know the answer to a question that never even entered his mind when he did stuff like this?! Couldn't they just accept it and _let it go_? _"Because I felt like it," _he snapped, regretting his decision to come to Krypton more and more. The longer they stayed the more it seemed everything was falling apart.

_"I DON'T UNDERSTAND YOUR REASONING."_

_"You don't have to." _And just like that, all the frustration melted away, shoulders slumping in relief. That's right. They didn't have to understand _why _he did things. Because he was a _human_, and if practically everything else about him was difficult and weird, then why not this?

Turned to the next cage, mentally asking, _"Can you guys get out of here on your own?"_

_"WE CAN BECOME ONE WITH THE--"_

_"Yes or no?"_

_"...YES." _Ball-guy's voice was slightly sulky, no doubt upset that his explanation had been cut short. _"I AM IYKCU."_

Bruce felt his eye twitch as he sprung open another cage. The others weren't talking at all! Why did this one insist on it? Didn't he know that the mere sound of his loud-screeching voice was enough to make his brain pulse in agony? _"Bruce." _And better yet, why did he continue to encourage it?

_"WHAT ABOUT IT?"_

_"My name is Bruce."_

_"ARE YOU A RUNT?"_

Xish'ilh let out a choking sound, which suspiciously sounded like laughter, and Bruce threw a tool at the Martian's head, smirking when the laughter turn to a yelp. "Bruce that hurt!"

"I know. Give it back."

He managed to catch it just before it put his eye out. Haughtily arched an eyebrow at the scowling alien, then turned back to what he was doing. _"No. I'm human."_

_"...WE CALL THEM RUNTS."_

The choking laughter was back, and Bruce felt his face grow hot. _"Well we call you floating balls of light so **there**." _He wasn't a runt! He was a perfectly normal height for a human of his age! ...Maybe. Having never seen one his age, Bruce wasn't really sure. It was true that most grown Martians equaled to about seven to nine feet tall... and he was barely over four-foot-six but...NOTHING! It meant nothing!

Apparently he insulted the thing into silence, because it didn't say anything else. Mentally thanking H'ronmeer, Bruce returned to his work, and with Xish'ilh's help the room was soon covered with freely floating non-light-floaty-thingies. Or whatever it was they were. There was a brief period of awkward silence, and then..

_"Okay. You're free. Go now," _Xish'ilh said impatiently, hating that instead of a thanks or gratitude, they were rewarded with stifling silence. _"What is it?!"_

Again, it was Iykcu who spoke, _"YOU'RE....TRULY LETTING US GO?"_

The two youngsters shared a puzzled look. Wasn't that the whole point of springing the locks? To free the little orb-people? _"Yeah."_

_"YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HARVEST OUR BODIES FOR FUEL OR USE OUR POWERS FOR E--"_

_"Too much work," _Bruce interrupted wryly, then strolled over towards the door. He paused, concentrating briefly before giving a jerky nod towards his friend. The two then left the room, leaving the orb-creatures in a state of shock.

_"THAT WAS UNEXPECTED."_

()

Seeing how the biggest room was filled with orb-creatures, they didn't know what the next room they'd decided to poke their heads into was going to hold. Something told Xish'ilh that this wasn't going to be as easy as planned, and when Bruce saw what the room a few doors down held...

He felt his stomach drop.

More creatures in cages, only these were were humanoid looking, kind of frail with beautiful eyes and chains on their wrists and around their necks. Their hair was matted with dirt and blood, ribs poking through and even the Martian felt a bit sick as he hoarsely stated, "Tamaranians. They're kinda weak but...this is just.." And this time, he was prepared to help Bruce free them, because it was different when he could actually see the abuse and they were _Tamaranians_, weak and almost helpless creatures..

Only Bruce wasn't working on freeing the locks, he was sitting down, head tilted back, eyes gazing at the ceiling. Sighing, Xish'ilh crouched down next to him, giving him a gentle prod with his finger. "Bruce?"

No answer.

"Bruuuce?"

Nothing.

He started to feel a little nervous. Had those stupid light-orbs done something to his human?! _I'll kill them! Stupid balls! _

Another prod, and when he was met with silence yet again, he sighed, "Bruce if you wanna have a break down that's fine but can you do it later? When we're not saving people?"

"Can't." Great. One-word sentences. That meant Bruce was thinking. Why did he have to think _now_?!

"Why not?!" Xish'ilh asked exasperated.

"Is slavery legal on Krypton?"

The Martian scrunched his brow up in thought. "It used to be, up until a few decades ago. Made loads of people angry." At seeing his friend's puzzled look at what was meant to be a rhetorical question, he huffily added, "Just because Jor and J'onn occasionally forget you're human, doesn't mean I do. I wasn't about to let you go to a planet that would try and sell you." Was prepared for those words to start another argument/fight between them, and was instead shocked when Bruce leaned forward and _kissed his cheek. _

Xish'ilh felt his eyes grow wide and his stomach started doing this annoying fluttering thing that wouldn't stop, mind replaying the event over and over again even after seconds passed and it was over and done with. "Wh--what was that for?"

Bruce smiled, only it wasn't a normal smile, it was the type of gesture that was usually reserved for J'onn, and occasionally Jor. "For proving me wrong."

Opened his mouth to demand that he explain, when a past conversation fluttered through his mind.

_"I'm...sorry...for not waiting with you."_

"I didn't expect you to."

"Why?"

"Because you're not that kind."

Somehow, he'd managed to get Bruce to trust him on another level entirely, and he felt it in his soul, that he was no longer just a _friend_. He'd moved up, and was now in his own category.

It was an unbelievably good feeling.

Trying to act calm, when really all he wanted to do was melt into a pile of goo, Xish'ilh shakily said, "Soo...do you have any ideas?" Because really, what good would a plan do now?

Bruce nodded slowly, eyes back on the ceiling. "If we free the Tamaranians, what happens next?"

A slight pause. "We move on to another room."

"And then?"

"...free whatever we find."

"And then?"

"...Move on to the next room."

"And then?"

"...I'm beginning to see a pattern."

"Exactly. Not to mention if we free everyone, what's to stop these guys from starting over again?"

The Martian felt his eye twitch. "You want us to take out the whole operation?"

"Yes."

Impossible! They were just kids! How were they supposed to bring down what was obviously an illegal slave operation?! "Okay." And why was he always agreeing to Bruce's insane ideas?!

One day Bruce's _ideas _were going to get them both killed.

Xish'ilh's cheek was still slightly warm from where Bruce had _kissed _him, and he happily decided that since this _was _pretty much the greatest moment of his life, if he _were _to die, why not go out with a bang?

()

Review or I shall keel thee!!!!!!! WOOOOOOO!!! ;_; I just got internet back. Forgive me pwease! *bows*


	27. Worst Moment of Xish'ilh's Life

Mars: An Elseworlds Story

Chapter 27

()

* * *

J'onn tried to concentrate on staying still, and nothing else.

Didn't want to move.

Everything hurt.

It was like a bomb had gone off on the inside of his body; everything was throbbing, shaking, in tune with the echoing laughter in his mind. Their mocking voices, Her sneering face.. He'd never seen someone so beautiful look so ugly in such a sudden transformation, and the fact that he'd been the one to cause said transformation...was... Sickening.

_"Oh look! It's Jor-El's pet monster!"_

_"Ugh. Disgusting eyes. They're soulless, creepy--stop looking at us!"_

_"Yeah, you freak! That's right! Run away!"_

_"Run back to your Master!"_

And she'd been with the rest of the Kryptonian oafs, sneering and laughing along. Like he was **dirt**.

J'onn couldn't help but feel betrayed by her actions, however foolish it was. It made his insides lurch with disgust, the way she'd looked at him. All he could picture were her eyes, glaring with such an intense look of hatred..

Didn't know where he was, he'd just taken off after the confrontation.

It had taken him a good three hours to muster up the confidence to talk to her, and only seconds for them to crush said confidence.

He felt like a failure.

Couldn't even look at himself in any reflection, or anything at all really in his state of mind, for to J'onn she was the personification of the word 'beautiful'. And if someone as bright and breathtaking as Her, thought he was...

His eyes squeezed tighter in a futile effor to drive away their jeering voices.

_Nononononono--if she thinks that, then she can't be really beautiful, it's just the outside, and she's really ugly on the inside--_but she wasn't, she was beautiful, inside and out J'onn just knew it and it wasn't fair of him to try and bring her down to his level--_no no no stop it's not right it's not true it's not--but it is, always has been and you know it--_

_"__J'onn! J'onn I need you!"_

Xish'ilh's voice, probably calling him to remind him of that stupid Zo'ok mission--J'onn really didn't care to do anything besides wallow. Besides, he didn't really like the younger Martian. He'd explain it to Bruce, later, when things hurt less, and the human would understand. That was all that mattered. Yes it was petty but right now, he really wanted to wallow in self-pity.

So he blocked out all the voices, curled around himself tighter, and just tried to forget for a few moments, just how ugly he was.

()

* * *

Xish'ilh and Bruce sat there, staring at each other, not quite sure how to proceed. Saying was one thing, doing was another. And right now, they had no idea what they were _supposed _to do. They knew that the slavery ring thing had to go down. As for _how_..

They really had no clue. None whatsoever.

Silence, until Bruce frowned and finally took to pacing around the crowded room. So many cages, curious and frightened faces peering out from behind them and he wanted so bad to free them all and protect them only he couldn't, no he had to do this _right_. Okay, okay, think think think. Had to be fast, the guards were going to come by soon and see the light people free and then there'd be trouble. He was human, thinking out of the box was practically what he was _made _for.

While Bruce slaved over a 'not plan', Xish'ilh watched, almost hypnotized. The human was muttering under his breath, would pause in mid-step, head tilted to consider an idea that only he could make sense of, then would scowl and continue on, obviously dismissing said idea. Until finally the pacing slowed down to a stop, eyes gleaming somewhat madly, an idea taking shape. And suddenly there was a spew of words, something about proof or whatever, Bruce dragging him out of the room and all the young alien could think was, _He's touching my hand. Touched my face too. With his lips._

When was the tingling feeling going to go away?

()

* * *

Locating the security center of the place wasn't really all that hard. It seemed the guards had vanished, leaving the hallways empty and a suspicious feeling lurking in the pit of their stomachs. Bruce was little more then a jumble of nerves as he kept watch, waiting for Xish'ilh to finish picking the lock to door. After a few minutes, and several curses, the human let out a growl and made as if he were going to smash Xish'ilh's head into the door.

With a yelp, his friend went intangible to avoid the head-bashing...and was shocked when he slipped into the room. Unharmed.

There was a tense silence, and then, "You know, a simple 'hey just phase through the door' would have done it."

"How's this for simple: Open the door before I make you," Bruce snapped irritably. They were wasting _time._

A bit of grumbling and the door started to slide open. Not even half way open and Bruce was inside, approaching the computer. He let out a low whistle as he discovered the reason for the absence of security. "Jor and Zim got caught."

"And that surprises you?" Apparently they weren't being very peaceful prisoners, Jor having managed to wiggle his way free and was wrecking havoc on a great number of guards. Zim was no where to be seen, but every now and then a fast blur would appear on camera, usually before another guard dropped.

Xish'ilh spared a second to toss them an appreciative nod and then got to work, helping Bruce locate 'proof'. The computer's interface was very complicated, and he was reminded eerily of the ones Aje had showed them. "Okay...so...proof like what?"

There was a long pause, and the Martian sighed, "You have no idea do you?"

"I'm kind of hoping it'll be something obvious. They don't seem to be very..." They both fell silent when a window popped up, the images displayed causing their insides to run cold.

Targets, names, ingredients, death tolls, places, times, count downs..all listed. Links to who was in charge of what and why. All in such vivid details, telling the two that this was more then a simple slavery ring. This was a terrorist organization as well. With shaky hands, Bruce pulled out his hrivt'ek, plugged it into the computer and began downloading the file. Xish'ilh swallowed tightly, not understanding how his friend could be so calm. "Bruce, that's...that's a...all those places! And the people! That's like a--and the House of El is a target! We're staying there! What are we going to do?"

Bruce didn't have the chance to explain just _why _he was downloading the file, because as soon as his hrivt'ek beeped to signal it was done, alarms started to sound.

_**"INTRUDER ALERT! INTRUDER ALERT!"**_

"Time to go!" he shouted instead as the ground started to shake, sparing just a split second to grab his hrivt'ek, then he was out the door, close on Xish'ilh's tail. Only to come to a screeching halt, a trail of fire blocking their path. "They torch the place when the alarm sounds?" Xish'ilh sputtered, before being pulled into a nearby room and towards a window that had shattered in the initial explosion. "Bruce?"

"You need to leave," Bruce stated firmly, "Before the fire turns you into a nervous wreck."

Any other time Xish'ilh would have argued, but it was _fire _and it was _right there_. Yes there were Zo'oks and others, but he couldn't do much as a nervous puddle of gibbering mess, could he? So he carefully hoisted himself through the window, then turned around and offered his hand back to help Bruce. "Be careful there's a lot of sharp edges."

Saw his friend hesitating and felt his desperation grow, "Bruce, you're just a human. And I know, I know that it sucks, but look I'm Martian and even I can't make it through a fire like this." His voice was shaky, had to convince Bruce, he had to, because he _knew _what fire could do. "Ssss-so give me your hand, and we'll go and get help. Please." Was so relieved when Bruce nodded, and moved to take his hand, because that meant that the human wasn't being foolish, that he understood the dangers and wasn't willing to throw his own life away for a bunch of dumb--

A terrible creaking roar sounded out. Before Xish'ilh could even blink, Bruce had jumped back out of the way, and a good portion of the ceiling had caved in.

Right in front of the window.

"BRUCE!" Xish'ilh shrieked, not caring that his voice was cracking like his friend's normally did. "BRUCE!"

_**"I'm okay, Xish'ilh! Bleeding, and a bit burnt, but okay."**_

The young Martian tried to pull himself together, to phase through the building and help Bruce out, only he couldn't seem to make his legs move, much less his molecular structure. With a frustrated cry, he backed away from the building, clutching his head. Tried to come up with a plan, only he couldn't, all he could picture was Bruce's flesh burning off painfully and slowly. He felt so young, so helpless, and he was a Martian! Bruce was in there, burning alive and he couldn't even force himself to go back...to enter that building with the crackling flames..

_"J'onn!" _he finally wailed telepathically, _"__J'onn I need you!"_

There was nothing but a brick wall; J'onn was blocking him out. He tried again, _"__Bruce needs you! There's a fire! And he's trapped inside!"_

Silence.

Xish'ilh slumped to the ground, misery coming off him in waves. J'onn was blocking him, either because he was _busy _or simply because he didn't like him, which meant either way Bruce was doomed. Tried to remember Kryptonese so he could at least shout to draw attention, but his mind was _blank_, refusing to come up with words or or or--not that it would have mattered for no one was out at this time anyway. Things were all going so horrible so fast when all they'd wanted to do was save a few stupid zo'oks.

His only hope was Ejan or Nimda, they understood Martian. Only he couldn't reach them telepathically, no he was going to have to run all the way there--with a curse, he started off, realizing he was wasting time. _"__Bruce, I'm going to go get help."_

_**"J'onn?" **_Bruce was keeping his responses short, and that only led Xish'ilh to believe that his friend was growing weaker.

_"He's ignoring me! I have to run to the House to get help. No one's out here! This planet sucks!"_

_**"...should have...been nicer to him.."**_

_"__Bruce what are you doing?"_

_**"Something...stupid."**_

_"Don't worry about those stupid creatures! Worry about yourself! You're going to burn to a crisp if you don't try to get out!"_

_**"You...worry too much..."**_

_"You're the one fading in and out!"_

_**"Busy. Get help."**_

_"Bruce, don't die. Don't burn up! Don't...please."_

_**"I won't."**_

_"Promise?"_

_**"....I'll try."**_

Bruce hadn't promised--and Bruce always kept his promises. Which meant he didn't think he'd make it out alive. Throat unbelievably tight, he forced himself to run faster. Had to make in time, he just had to.

()

* * *

By the time he got to the House, so much time had passed, that Xish'ilh was little more then a jumble of nerves, his mind looping over the images of Bruce dying, burning, skin peeling off... Weak and delirious... No! NO! He was going to make it back in time, he was.

And was so grateful that Ejan and Nimda were awake, it meant less time would have to be wasted, and he'd already wasted so much of it as it was--so so much. "Ejan! I have to--Bruce is--fire and--Zim and Jor--and Zo'oks--tamaranians--FIRE! AND HE'S IN THERE! AND HE'S BURNING!"

Couldn't concentrate enough to speak slowly, so he knew his Martian must have been rough and hard for Ejan to understand, if her delayed reaction was anything to go by. Why, why why why was this all happening? He should remember Kryptonese damnit! He knew it! He did! Why was it all of a sudden gone from his mind? What good of a friend was he?

"...What is that in your hand?"

What kind of a question was that to ask? With a snarl, he went to reply that there _was _nothing in his stupid ha--only to unclench his fist and see Bruce's hrivt'ek.

The hrivt'ek that held all the important data that they'd discovered.

Bruce had handed it to him, at some point.

Which meant...

_"Bruce? Why did you hand me this?"_ Xish'ilh asked shakily, stomach plummeting when he received no answer. _"Bruce! WHY DID YOU HAND ME THIS? ANSWER ME!"_

Silence.

And then...

_**"...tried...s'rry...take....Ace....kay?.."**_

Then the connection faded out, and Xish'ilh lost it.

()

* * *

A/N: I do want to continue Shattered, yet I'm not quite sure where to go with it. Anyone mind sprouting ideas? XD I promise to credit you and thank you for letting me use ya like a cheap french prostitute! C'mon! It's for a good cause! ........me!

In my mind a hrivt'ek is a phone-like device, but also acts like a mini-computer. It's kind of square in shape, about the size of a human's palm when closed. When you open it, it displays holographic images of whatever/whoever you're doing/calling from the top part. The bottom part is basically a mouse/keyboard area..It can store information, download information...pretty much do whatever on it. Even make love to it. It's actually pretty cheap, and you can change the outside color with a push of a button.

:squees: It's my dream device!


	28. Revised!

So I know you're expecting a new chapter to Mars: An Elseworlds Story. And depending on how awesome you are, you're either going to be really happy or really sad or both or neither or whatever when I tell you that I'm rewriting the entire series. A complete overhaul.

I'm going to post a little from the first chapter here, that way you can decide if you want to read the new version or not. Cool? Cool. Anyways, here you go!

()

For as long as Malefic could remember, he has hated his own kin. All of them, from the moment he was born and felt silence in his mind and saw the disgust in their eyes – he **hated **the Martian race. Always looking down on him as if they were so much better – so what if they couldn't get their disgusting slimy little thoughts inside his mind?

Why ever would he want them to? But then word had gotten out and he'd been taken. Taken and held captive, often restrained to a metal slab in a large room with several other children, most of them alien. In the beginning he'd been the same, sobbing and begging to be set free but as the sols passed it became numbingly clear that no one would be rescuing him or anyone else. Ever.

Instead they were treated like lab rats, divided into groups based on what glowing drugs were being forced into them. Malefic's group, their drug glowed purple and burned through their veins when injected. Some sols he would shake so bad, colors and sounds screaming in his senses as the visions, sick and twisted, would rip through his mind. Images and the smell of burnt flesh – fire, everything on Malecandra was burning to ashes, buildings tumbling down and bodies piled high in the streets – and the **screams**...

The first time he saw it, he'd been unable to speak for two whole sols, horrified into silence. What was it that he'd seen? Hallucinations or visions? If those were images of what was to come then that meant his planet didn't have a future. They were all dead. _DeaddeadeadeadeadeadeadeadDy ingInTheStreetsFireSoHighItB urnsOhH'ronmeerItBurns_-

They gave him a few sols break from experiments, and during the time away from his slab he managed to make a sort of friend in his group. A young girl with wings, from Thanagar. He was just starting to care for the girl when the next dose ended up killing her. The agonized screams and tearful begging haunted Malefic's mind for a long time after that. In the end, as dark hatred boiled deep in his gut, the young Martian decided he's **glad **that his people, this rotten planet didn't have a future.

_Let it all **BURN**._

()

So there you have it! Just a tiny bit from the first chapter of the rewrite. You can get to the rest of the story through my profile. Happy readings!


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